Mistakes & Consequences
by MayAnny
Summary: Danny knew what he had to do. Reach Vlad's mansion, find a portal, find Clockwork, and fix his stupid mistake, so his mom would be married to his dad, and Vlad would be a half-ghost again. But he didn't expect them to have a son, whose existence he would have to erase if he wanted to fix everything. If only his morals would let him... 'A cruel twist in Masters of all Time.'
1. Everything is Wrong

**A/N: So This is another story of mine! **

**I wrote _Mother Knows Best_, but I don't think this will be better. It's mostly a test, to see how I fare with _Danny's POV_.**

**Not really a plot-bunny. I've put some good thought into the overall plot, so I'm pretty confident that I have a solid story here. I don't intend to force my readers into an OC POV, unless readers ask me to, but I'm pretty confident that my take on this one is a pretty good one. So, for anyone insecure and paranoid with the Mary-Sue threat, you should now that I'm really good with character creation, and I tend to map their personalities with a lot of detail, with my best method, which is easy to use. **

**4/5/6 positive traits, plus 4/5/6 negative traits, each with one or two - maybe even three - reasons for the character to have them, and a big number of associated behaviors/attitudes/thoughts for each trait, where I add or take things, depending on what happens to them in the course of the story because real people change, and so do my characters. I have books to help me with it, and it's pretty awesome. **

**I use this method to make sure I have a solid grip on their personality, and a realistic behavior. So trust me, no Mary-Sue.**

**Anyway, I don't own DP, and this disclaimer shall be left on the first chapter only, because I don't need to remind you again. **

**Rated-T for swearing, slightly violent fights, and moral dilemmas. **

**Also, sorry for any typos or grammar errors. My English tends to fail me sometimes. Specially at night, when I'm tired.**

* * *

_**Mistakes &amp; ****Consequences**_

**Chapter 01**

**Everything is Wrong**

* * *

Danny wasn't sure how long he had been flying.

Beneath him, there were vast farms that stretched into the horizon, and the sun would be rising soon. But Danny couldn't think much of it with the strain his long flight caused.

He was already tired from getting his butt whopped by his own _half-ghost dad_, and he hadn't eaten anything, at all, so he felt like he was about to pass out at any given moment. His stomach gave him another painful wail and he sighed. His destination was _Wisconsin_, more specifically Vlad's castle, and the only thing keeping him going, despite his exhaustion at these ungodly wee hours – it was still night when he left Amity – was the fact that he needed to fix his stupid mistake.

His mother was married to Vlad. Ew... He couldn't help but grimace at the thought.

After a few more endless minutes of flying, Danny could see the overly-dramatic glare of the Wisconsin castle in the distance, looming over the farms of doom. Danny scowled, remembering how he wouldn't even be in this situation if it wasn't for Vlad and his inconvenient scheming in the first place. So anything near Vlad was full of doom at this point and he just wanted to kick the fruitloop's sorry butt.

When finally reaching the castle, Danny landed on the ground, losing his balance briefly before he straightened as much as he could, choosing to walk with a lazy slouch that required less effort, changing back to human, and then walking to the stairs in front of those humongous doors.

Danny tiredly knocked on the door. Objective achieved, Danny felt his body giving up on staying up and about and fell by the doorstep. The last thing he saw and heard was the door being opened by a butler, who looked merely _mildly _surprised. "Oh, my..."

After that, he knew no more. One would think that after passing out due to exhaustion, he would've stayed asleep until he recovered most of his energies. But no.

Danny woke up feeling extremely comfortable. There was a rustle of soft sheets kissing his skin, and he just wanted to lay there. He still felt tired, like going to sleep after a ghost fight in the early morning, and waking up freaking three hours later to go to school, and sleep there anyway, so Danny squinted his closed eyes and laid there.

A moment passed before memories slapped him _hard_, and he opened his eyes, the light coming from an unknown source making him close them again, blinking for a few moments to adjust to his surroundings, and then to seeing a 'fancy sort of bland room', remembering quickly that he was supposed to be at Vlad's mansion.

Supposedly.

The room was almost as big as _his_ _own_ room, but there was only a bed – king size mind you – an expensive-looking dresser on the opposite wall, a seemingly antique desk to his right, a small polished wooden bed table to his left, with a fancy lamp, a big rug in the middle of the room and the huge window to the right, where he could see an overly-pampered front yard.

It must be a guest room. "Typical Vlad. Even his guest rooms look more expensive than my whole house." Not counting lab and Fenton equipment of course. Danny huffed, throwing the bed sheets off him and stepping carefully around the room and looking around for cameras.

Just because Vlad got his mother (still ew...) doesn't mean he's not a fruitloop anymore.

He jumped when he heard a knock on the door. A butler walked in with no care for Danny's permission to walk in. "Ah, good, you're awake." He said with what sounded like _professional boredom_. "_Mrs. and Mr. Masters_ wish to see you at the dining room."

That just sounded _so _wrong...

"Sure, uh..." The butler gave no indication of wanting to hear what Danny had to say and walked out with his nose in the air. Danny's shoulders fell in dismay and he followed the man – even though he was sure he could find the dining room on his own – and spoke anyway. "What time's it?"

"It's twenty past five in the afternoon." Danny raised a confused eyebrow. He must have slept for at least 10 hours, but Danny was still way too tired... The butler didn't say anything else, and Danny remained quiet after that. They walked the seemingly endless hallways for about two minutes before reaching some place that _wasn't_ a hallway, and a few more to reach the dining room. He heard talking before they walked in.

There, he saw the oddest scene ever.

His mother, Maddie, wearing an obviously expensive, but simple, pink dress, at the dining table, with Vlad, wearing a _polo_ and those 'perfect hubby' cliché sweaters warped around his shoulders, and surprise, surprise, no white hair.

_'Right, the accident never happened to him...' _It was that same dark hair, almost blue, with a few white strands to the sides due to age. _'Weird…'_

They were talking at the furthest end of the table, and Vlad was uncomfortably close to Maddie with that 'flirt-face' that Danny wanted to punch, but she didn't seem to mind.

_'Gross…'_

The butler cleared his throat, "Mr. Masters, the boy is here."

They noticed Danny standing there. Vlad was the first to stand up and speak, sounding creepily welcoming. "Ah, you must be the young man who passed out by our front door." He waved the butler away. He did sound less crazy, but then again, he didn't sound _too_ weird the first few times he'd met him at the Reunion. "You must be famished. Why don't you sit and eat, hm?"

"Uh, thanks..." Vlad was at the head, Maddie directly to his right, so he sat in front of her, but leaving at least one empty chair beside Vlad because he didn't want to sit too close to the fruitloop. There was an awful lot of cheese available at the table, so he busied himself with that while he planned on how to lie through his teeth.

"So," His mother started with a chirp tone. "What's your name, young man?" She talked like was one of those '_special'_ little kids.

"Danny." He said while taking a bite of cheese. "Danny, uh, Fe-Foley." He corrected himself quickly. He couldn't say that he was a _Fenton_. That would've been a disaster…

"How did you ended up here all alone, Danny?" She sounded genuinely concerned, but then again, his mother has always been nice, and no _Vlad_ was going to change that.

Danny gulped, stammering while he tried to lie. "Mo-I-I mean, I'm _looking _for my mom, yeah, she, uh, kinda disappeared…" And reappeared married to a lunatic. But he wasn't going to say _that_.

Thye both gasped, and Vlad spoke first. "Oh, you poor child!" He couldn't tell if Vlad was sincere or not. "When was the last time you saw her?"

Maddie continued. "And where?"

"Oh, uh… I'm not sure, it was somewhere close here, and I, uh, thought that I could, maybe, ask around here?" He wasn't sure what he was saying at this point. He just needed to ask if they had a ghost portal and all this lying was getting on his nerves.

Then again, he could just go ghost and snoop around...

"Oh, don't worry. We'll drop you by the police station and ask around," Maddie leaned forward from her seat, a motherly smile on her face. "But you look exhausted, still. You must have been walking for hours to get here." More like _flying_. "Why don't you spend the night here and rest?" Danny could have leaped with happiness. This made things _so_ much easier.

"Ah, Maddie, you selflessness knows no bounds… You're wonderful as always." Vlad sighed dreamily like a high school girl – to Danny, it looked _just_ like it – and leaned forward for… a kiss…

Danny gasped inaudibly. 'Oh_ no, I _don't_ need to see that!'_ He quickly stopped Vlad from getting any closer to his mother. "Aaah, by the way, um," Vlad looked like he wanted to slap Danny. "You guys wouldn't happen to have a, uh, a _ghost portal_ around here, would you...?"

Maddie blinked, before chuckling. He knew his mother's forced laugh anywhere though. "Oh, _why _would we have such a silly thing…?" Her voice faltered and she looked nervous, lightly covering her mouth with her fist as her eyes darted to Vlad.

Vlad himself looked a lot _less _nervous as he stood and turned around to pace. "Yes, why indeed? I'm a simple dairyman, successor of the Wisconsin Dairy king. We are a _normal_ and simple family despite our wealth,"

_'Family?' _Danny didn't consider two people a 'family' _'Suit yourself.' _

Suddenly, Vlad turned back to face Danny, looking _livid_. "And we DO NOT discuss GHOSTS in this HOUSE!" He yelled, flailing his arms around childishly.

Still, Danny blanched at the loud response. "…Sorry…" Was his meek answer, and he looked at his mother for help. She stood up and walked towards Vlad.

"He was just curious, dear. You know how teenagers are." His mother said, standing between Danny and Vlad and looking as calm as she could be, like she had dealt with Vlad's ghost-hating attitude before. "I'm sure Danny will be polite enough to not bring this up, now that he knows we don't appreciate it."

She glanced at him quickly and Danny nodded equally quickly.

"As patient as always, my dear, please forgive me-"

Danny held back a groan and tuned out Vlad's disgusting lovey-dovey talk, and soon enough they leaned for another kiss. Danny didn't have an excuse to stop it this time, so he just grimace and covered his eyes.

"Aw, gross…" Danny covered his mouth, but after a second realized that those words didn't come from him, much as he _almost_ wished it did. He heard steps coming from the door.

"Oh hi, sweetie, how was school today?" His mother chirped with that same tone, and those same words that she used to greet him and Jazz when they walked in, and Danny turned to look.

_'Oh, no...'_

This guy looked to be Jazz's age and just a bit taller, looked like his mother, kinda, with the same eyes, nose and face structure and all, but had Vlad's hair color, a spiked hair that he pulled back, not completely taming it like Vlad, and almost reached his shoulders, wearing what looked like a private school's uniform.

Danny gaped, then looked at Maddie and Vlad, then back at him. _'No way… Just no…!'_

Danny didn't notice the guy was right beside _his _mother now. "Oh, it was just _great_." He droned, with that teenage tone that indicated otherwise, then he looked at Danny, who flinched. "And who are _you_?" He raised an eyebrow, the _same way_ Vlad does sometimes.

"Uh…" Since his mind was in overdrive, he couldn't think of anything to say. _'No, no, no, no!' _

"This is Danny Foley, honey." Maddie said, not really feeling Danny's tension as she went from chirpy mother to concerned. "His mother kind of _disappeared_, and he stumbled exhausted at our door! We're letting him stay for the night."

"Uh-huh." Was all he said. Danny nodded quickly, trying to look truthful, but then the guy let out a silent scoff, whispering _'liar'_, which Danny heard with his enhanced hearing. His mother however...

_'Crud...' _He smirked as if he could _hear_ Danny panicking in his mind.

His mother turned to Danny, placing a hand on the other kid's shoulder. "And Danny? This our son, Daniel. He's just a bit older than you."

Danny wasn't sure how to feel when they had practically the same name._'He doesn't _look _adopted, which means…'_

Danny's disgust for the idea of Vlad ever touching his mother _like that _made his stomach flip _very _uncomfortably as his nose wrinkled. His disgust must have looked _very_ obvious, because Daniel blinked, then immediately frowned at him, even though he looked cool with his presence just seconds before.

That must have looked _so _wrong to him… _'Double crud…'_

"Okay." Daniel maintained his glare for another second before he turned to, well, _their _mother, crossing his arms. He kind of had Vlad's build, but he wasn't that big or strong-looking. "So mom, dad, I kind of need to talk to you guys about-"

Vlad interrupted with a raised hand. "Well my boy, whatever it is, we'll discuss it over dinner. Do us a favor and take this young man to the third guest room on the left hallway of the second floor, will you? Your mother and I have to talk."

Daniel took a deep breath, closing his eyes to avoid the eye-rolling move he obviously wanted to pull. "Alright." He walked away, snapping his fingers at Danny on his way. "C'mon pipsqueak, before they get all _touchy _with each other again..."

Vlad and his mother ignored the comment and continued whispering to each other, but Danny's brows furrowed with indignity at the jab to his height. "I'm _not_ a pipsqueak!" Danny bristled, feeling his cheeks heating up.

"You're shorter _and _younger. Sooo, yes you are." Once both were out of the dining room, Daniel backtracked to take a peek inside the room again, before continuing on his way, mumbling and shaking his head in obvious disbelief. "…I _told_ them to stop with the displays of affection in front of people…"

Danny held back a snicker. '_And I thought _my_ parents were embarrassing… This is _so_ much worse…' _He continued following him up the stairs and into the hallway for roughly 30 seconds more before Daniel did an 180, stopping in front of one of the doors in the long hallway.

"So," He frowned again, and Danny sighed, knowing he would be getting questions. He just hoped he was as easy to fool as his mother was… Something told him he wasn't… "Are you here to rob us?"

"No?" He just needed a portal. Danny frowned in confusion at the question anyway, though.

Daniel looked satisfied with his answer and nodded, averting his eyes briefly before continuing. "Spy on us, then?"

"No...?" _'Paranoid much?'_

"Murder?"

"What?! No!" '_Now I know he and Vlad are related...'_

"Alright, calm down. I just needed to make sure." He raised his hands in a pacifying manner, not looking abashed at all.

"What makes you think a 15 year old would be here to _kill_ anyone?!"

"You're 15?" He shrugged, sounding uncaring. "I don't know. I think you were lying about your reasons to be here, so I thought of any, ah, _reasonable_ _possibilities_."

"And robbing, spying and _killing_ were your best reasons…?" Danny asked with a deadpan expression before his eyes widened. "Wait, _lying_? W-why do you say that…?!" He's _not_ easy to fool! Alarms were going off in Danny's head as his eyes darted around for possible escape routes. There were none.

"You're just _really _easy to read." He pretended to check his nails, much like Vlad does when he wanted to be particularly pretentious.

"Oh…" Danny frowned and looked down. Vlad also mentioned something like this before.

"Yeah, _oh_." He leaned against the door, with a hand in his pocket, and frowning a little too much suddenly. "When my mom told you I'm their _son_, I saw this_ funny look_ on your face." He waved a finger in the air to emphasize his point.

_'Uh oh…'_ Danny gulped, getting even more nervous than usual because he knows he's a horrible liar sometimes, and Vlad usually saw right past him sometimes, but this guy's lie detection was absolutely ridiculous. Not even Jazz was that spot-on...

Daniel leaned forward just a little, glaring like he wanted to punch Danny, and considering his glare was a mixture of his mother's glare, with Vlad's glare, it _was_ pretty intimidating. "…Did you know that sometimes _disgust means_ _hatred_? Because that's what I was seeing there."

Danny took a step back. Maybe he should just disappear and… stay invisible while he looked for the portal.

He continued, ignoring Danny's discomfort, and dropped the glare, leaning away from Danny and using tired gestures. "_But_ I couldn't tell if it was directed at _me_, or at my _parents_,"

Danny almost grimaced at the image the word '_parents_' brought again and he couldn't help it. Vlad _touching _his mother was just… Ugh...! Danny tried to look passive and expressionless, but with Daniel's knowing look, he knew he was failing, somehow.

"Ah, at my parents it is then. Is it at my mom?" Now he crossed his arms and was back to glaring.

_'Why would I hate _my_ mom? Oh, and can you please STOP?!'_

"No? Alright." He sported a small smile and rubbed the back of his neck, like Danny himself does out of habit, almost looking relieved. "Is it at dad, then?"

_'This _is_ the fruitloop's fault! Of course I hate-!__ Ah, stop thinking!'_

"Oh, it _is_. Huh…" He looked just a little surprised.

"Stop...! doing _that_!" Danny suddenly yelled in frustration. "Are you reading my mind?!"

Daniel stayed quiet for a few seconds, watching him, then snickered before he burst out laughing with minimal restraint. "No! You're just the shittiest liar I've _ever_ seen...!" Danny winced at the swearing. "Are you even trying to hide things from me?" At this point, he was just laughing loudly at Danny, how rude, he could feel his cheeks heating up again, and Daniel gathered his composure quickly, as if the laugh was fake. "But seriously, he's the _Dairy King_, for fuck's sake! What do you have against _that_?"

Oh, the F-bomb…

He had nothing against _the _Dairy King_. _He had something against _Vlad_. Oh, and who'd have thought that Vlad, the guy who swears via types of dessert, would have a son who cusses like a drunkard? The irony. "Just because _you _said I have something against him, doesn't mean it's true." Because how could he even _tell?_ Danny found himself rambling mentally. He could've been disgusted with the _whole_ idea of sex anyway, but Daniel just went and accused him! Danny walked forward, with the intent of opening the door to his room. Daniel moved out of the way politely _enough_. "Oh, and I have nothing else to say to the _Dairy Prince_!"

The speed to which Daniel grimaced and blushed at the jab made him feel so much better, and Danny smiled smugly when he saw that he struck a nerve _hard. _He opened his door, walked in and closed it harshly, feeling particularly proud.

Danny blinked in the cramped darkness.

_'…This… is a closet...' _He noted quickly. He also noted that there was an Ecto-Foamer right in front of him – right beside buckets and mops and cleaning utensils – and blinked as the gears in his head turned. _'Wait! So… mom DOES ghost hunt!' _Danny didn't have time to muse over his discovery, as he was interrupted by a few knocks on the door.

_"Uh, you _do _realize that this is _not_ your room, right?" _He heard from behind the door, and scowled. _"I didn't think that things were _that _harsh at your place, to accept such a tiny space as a room... But you can sleep there if you want."_

Danny yanked the door open. "Any more jokes at my financial class?" He was still standing there, now wearing a condescending smile that Danny had seen way too many times on Vlad's smug face, if it wasn't for the small left-over of redness that was quickly disappearing. "I was just waiting for you to leave."

"Oh, of course you were." He nodded unanimously. "It's your fault though. I didn't _say _this was your room."

"Then _why_ did you stop here?"

"We were _talking,_ and I don't like walking when I'm talking."

"Touché…"Danny huffed and looked sideways while crossing his arms, and Daniel snickered like this was all a big joke to him. Danny blinked. He didn't sound _evil_... There wasn't a jeering tone or cutting words. He just sounded a bit mean. A mild 'A-list' kind of mean.

Daniel turned around and started walking away, humor in his voice. "Your room is in the next door, now if you excuse me, I've got shit to do."

"Stop swearing..." Danny mumbled with a sigh, rubbing his forehead. He just wasn't used to it, and quite frankly, it _did_ bother him a bit...

Daniel somehow heard him and turned around with an apologetic look that was offensively fake. "Oh my god, I'm sorry! I _forgot_ you're ten!"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Uh, and you're the guy who thinks a ten-year-old is a threat to someone's life?"

"Ha! Wealth _always _comes with free paranoia. Speaking of that, no funny business, pipsqueak. There are cameras around the hallways." He gestured to the ceiling, then to his eyes with two fingers, then to Danny, as if saying 'I'm watching you', and walked into a room, seemingly at random, but Danny wasn't sure, he didn't know every single room in Vlad's castle.

_'Gee, thanks for the warning. I'll make sure to stay _invisible_!' _Daniel had changed his attitude with Danny suspiciously quickly. One second he was looking like he would strangle Danny at the first sign of provocation, and the next, he's just acting like a friendly A-list. Danny's past experiences with Vlad told him that one of these attitudes was fake, and he felt inclined to believe that the 'less hostile' act was the fake one, even if just for his own safety.

Danny's shoulders sagged tiredly and he continued walking until he reached the next door. He opened the door and was content when he saw the same room where he woke up. Maybe. They all probably looked the same... Danny closed the door and sighed, flopping down on the bed – that someone made – and looking at the ivory ceiling, because he had no idea what to do.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to think at this point. All of this was his own fault. Clockwork _did_ say not to destroy the past, and also said to face the consequences if he did. Well, he's facing the consequences _now_. His father became a half-ghost and was bitter and alone, while his mother went and married _Vlad_ for some reason, probably because Vlad must have gone out of his way to make sure she would never see his father again and find out that he still loved her.

Because Danny was sure that if she found out, she would accept him, because they still love each other. He was sure of it.

But... then there's Daniel... Danny rubbed his eyes with both hands tiredly. If Maddie didn't love Vlad, then she would have never had a _kid!_ Danny shook his head to dismiss the whole thought.

Vlad must have lied a lot to keep her around and get her to _love_ him and even give up ghost hunting. Although, the Ecto-Foamer in the closet suggested otherwise... Danny sat up, tapping his chin in thought. If his mother didn't give up ghost hunting, like Vlad seemed to think she did, then did she _hide_ her lab somewhere? Maybe.

He was sure she was capable of creating a ghost portal, even without his father, so Danny stood up and changed into his ghost form. It was time to look for a portal, go into the ghost zone, find Clockwork, and change things back, so his mother would be married to his father, like it was supposed to be, and everything would be back to normal. "...But if I do that..." Danny sighed dejectedly and sank back down on the bed, still in his ghost form.

If he were to fix everything, then Maddie would've never married Vlad, and Daniel wouldn't exist. Danny would be erasing someone's _existence_, even if they only existed because of his mistake in the first place. "...Wouldn't _that_ be considered murder...?" He asked himself – and Clockwork, who was certainly watching and maybe even shaking his head with that disappointed look – and ruffled his hair in frustration. "N-no... It wouldn't be _murder!_ It would be-" Danny stopped to think, but no excuse came to mind, and he sighed again. "W-well... If I fix it, it just means nothing ever happened. I... It doesn't mean I'll have blood on my hands! It'll just be back to normal!"

Even to him, his words sounded hollow, and he felt silly for talking to himself. Danny turned back into human and laid down on the bed, his chest heavy with guilt. It didn't matter that the guy was a bit of a jerk. Dash was a jerk too, but Danny would never _kill_ him just for being a bully. This whole thing just felt... so_ wrong_...! _'Not to mention...'_ Danny gulped at the thought and winced. _'He's technically my half-brother...'_

They have the same mother after all.

Maybe this is what Clockwork meant by 'facing the consequences'. "If that guy asks me about murder again, I'll be _so_ screwed..." And Danny found himself staring at the ivory ceiling once again, because he had no idea what to do.

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**A/N: So, yet another story of deep moral conflict. I just love these!**

**Anyway, tell me how it went, what you thought and all. This is just the beginning, and things will get _much_ _heavier_ later. Hopefully it caught a bit of your interest.**

**I'm not sure _Danny_ was completely in-character. Was he? I'm also not sure Daniel was completely in-character with what I had planned either. It's somewhat easy to create a character when you compare it to actually _writing_ the character. Penny for your thoughts?.**

**So _REVIEW_, Fave and Follow and all, tell me what was wrong, what was good! _Because I don't intend to put time and effort in a story that won't be worth. _This is mostly a test after all, and I'm really nervous about publishing this...**


	2. Similar Circumstances

**A/N: IT'S BEEN MONTHS! If you're a Mother Knows Best reader, you're probably wondering why I updated this fic first. Well, mostly because writing this one is EASIER! And quicker. So I wanted to write it already because I had a peak of inspiration. But no worries, I'm still writing MKB, just a little slower. **

**I had a major fit of Author's Block, combined with the time I lost Microsoft Office and refused to write on Wordpad, because I'm stubborn, then only a month later, I remembered about freaking LibreOffice *facepalm* which is even offered on Fanfiction dot net, and I can't believe I missed it. I kept trying to find a pirate version of the Office 8 (It looks pretty and modern *-*) but no luck.**

**That wasn't the only problem of course. There were some... school problems... *shudder* I thought I was done with that. This is hell...**

**Well, whatever. I'm here now. I have to say, I just love where this fic is going, the ideas just keep popping up! Not only for my fics but for my novel too. I see potential in that thing, and no, this is not my blind love speaking. I truly do see potential.**

**Well, without further ado, here's chapter two, finally. I apologize for any typos or grammar errors. I'm yet again writing at night, when I'm rather dozy and my English is at its weakest. It's almost 2 AM. **

* * *

**_Mistakes &amp; Consequences_**

**Chapter 02**

**Similar Circumstances **

* * *

_'I really shouldn't be here...' _Danny swallowed nervously, and sighed, trying to calm his nerves.

He eyed his food in front of him – it looked offensively delicious, considering he wasn't even hungry – then his mother sitting on the opposite side of the table, calmly and happily eating away her dinner. Then _Vlad,_ at the head just like before, also very calm and at ease, chatting with his mother about... whatever nonsense rich people talked about.

Danny ignored everything in favor of focusing on staying off the radar of his newest problem_,_ sitting _right_ _beside him_, dressed in 'casual', or as casual as you can be when you're filthy rich and proud of it.

Although, he didn't consider dress shirt and trousers to be _casual_. _'He is _just_ like the fruitloop it seems...' _He thought bitterly.

He suppressed a sigh and subtly eyed Daniel beside him, who was stabbing that chicken on his plate with a lot more aggressiveness than necessary. Danny had the impression that Daniel was imagining it to be Danny's head, despite his bored look.

_'What did I do now...?'_ He looked away again, trying, and failing, to suppress yet another tense sigh. Daniel seemed to be ignoring him, though. _'I knew that 'slightly less hostile' act was fake.' _

Danny was invited for dinner a few hours after their last talk, hours which were spent on contorted contradictory thoughts about 'how to solve this predicament' while waiting for Vlad, or even Daniel, to pop up with some kind of trap.

Because if the guy was as evil as Vlad, making a decision would be considerably easier... Not by much, though, but still...

But... no such luck. He still had no solution. In the meantime, Danny reached the conclusion that by being raised by Vlad, Daniel was probably just as evil deep inside.

Danny eyed Vlad when he heard his mother giggle about something. Considering the fact that Vlad wouldn't ignore a _guest_ all dinner, he sat there, stiff, thinking of any lies he could tell without Daniel seeing past them and waiting for when Vlad would inevitably direct his attention to Danny.

"-speaking of that, Daniel?" Danny jumped and looked up. Only after a second he realized that Vlad wasn't talking to him. Daniel stopped attacking his dinner and looked up too. "You said there was something you wished to discuss?"

"Uh..." He seemed uncertain for a second, briefly glancing at Danny – as if he didn't want him to see his hesitancy – and then gathering his composure quickly, leaning forward with his arms on the table. "Well, you see-"

"Elbows off the table, son." Vlad interrupted.

Daniel huffed in annoyance but did as he was told. "As I was saying, about college..." He faltered at the end.

"Ah, yes, that. You don't need to worry yourself too much, my boy. I contacted some friends at Wisconsin University recently. Your school record caught their interest. You'll do wonderfully in Business-"

Of course. Back home, Vlad was willing to _pay_ for Danny's education, but it's not like he accepted the man's _clear_ attempts of buying him with _nice things_. He also expected Daniel to study Business too, and possibly be as slimy as Vlad himself.

Predicable.

"-or maybe Law school, whichever you fancy more,"

That works too.

Danny almost winced at the prideful gloating in Vlad's tone, but he saw Daniel glaring at his plate in resigned annoyance.

In front of him, he saw his mother with a tense smile – yet another reason why Danny shouldn't be there – looking back and forth between Vlad and Daniel, before she pursed her lips and looked at Danny. "And you, Danny? Have you thought about college yet?" College? Right...

Vlad didn't seem to mind the question and directed his attention to Danny too.

"Oh, uh..." One quick peek, and he saw Daniel was watching him like a hawk, he could even _feel_ the stare very keenly. It gave him chills. "I'm just a 10th grader," He almost stammered. "I don't have to think about these stuff just yet..." True to be told, he didn't think he could get anywhere with his abysmal grades...

Daniel didn't react to his statement, but looked away, while Vlad huffed, waving his answer off with a hand wave. "Nonsense. You should start thinking of such things as soon as possible. Daniel already knew what he wanted by fifth grade," Vlad didn't see said boy rolling his eyes. "and he's been studying for it since then. The more time, the better, no?"

Danny saw no reason to do so. He still had _years_ left, lots of time in his opinion, and it's not like he had many options, anyway... _'Wait, why am I even thinking about these stuff?'_ Danny looked to his side, where Daniel had crossed his arms on the table and was now tapping his forearm, looking impassive and bored.

That's not what Vlad saw because he frowned. "If you have something to say, please do so already. You know I _hate_ when you do that." He sounded exasperated, with that tone he uses when he's tired of beating Danny around in their fights. His mother was wiggling her fork in her hand, rolling her eyes and sighing before sending a pleading look to Daniel, to which he responded by curling his lips in a light scowl.

Danny shifted on his seat, feeling awkward and out of place with the tension rising and not wanting to be in the middle of an argument.

"Nothing. It's nothing..." Daniel shook his head, uncrossed his arms and grabbed his silverware, intending to go back to his neglected dinner.

Danny sighed in relief – so did his mother – and went back to his food too.

Danny suddenly felt a cold feeling uncoiling in his chest, following all the way to his throat where the familiar ghost sense kicked in, and he stiffened as the cold shiver ran through his spine. _'Oh no... Not now...!'_ He couldn't just walk out now.

He heard Daniel dropping his silverware suddenly, letting out a tired sigh and rubbing his arm quickly. _'Did he notice my ghost sense...?'_ Danny felt paranoid now. Even if he _did_ see it, he couldn't _know_ what it was...

"What's wrong? Are you cold, honey?" He heard his mother ask in that familiar motherly tone. Again, it took him a second to realize it wasn't directed at him.

"No, no... I'm just not hungry anymore... And I promised _Lily_ I would give her a call soon, so if you excuse me..." With that, he stood up, rather stiffly, and walked out with a quick pace.

Danny stared after him, when suddenly he felt a sharp sting on his hand. He winced quietly and looked to the side, seeing he had touched the fork Daniel was gripping before. _'__What was that?__' _He frowned. Felt like a shock.

"Really, I thought his rebel years were long gone at this point, along with all that _fighting_ nonsense, and now _that_ girl..." Vlad mumbled, tossing the napkin he used back at the table in frustration, before rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"He's just 16, he's still years away from growing out of these things." His mother smiled in understanding, then smiled at Danny, tilting her head to the door, being a life-saver and letting Danny go so he wouldn't have to be awkward and give the _bathroom excuse_.

He smiled in gratitude and got up, walking out quickly and quietly, forcing himself not to run. Once out of their sight, Danny let out a deep sigh of relief, running to his room. He couldn't just go ghost anywhere... It wasn't safe...

Once he ran into his room, he looked out the window, seeing the front yard illuminated by decorative lamps everywhere. The night sky was clear, and had more stars than in the city.

It was awesome...

But no ghost in sight...

"Weird..." Any ghost would have attacked at this point. He didn't feel any presence anymore, he wasn't cold at all. "Maybe it was just passing by...?" Danny doubted, but that was mostly habit. He worried mostly for Daniel. Just a little...

His mother could take care of herself, and no _Vlad_ would change how much butt she could kick.

He _hoped_ something would attack Vlad, oh how he _hoped_, but Daniel hadn't really done anything yet– as far as he was concerned – to _deserve_ being attacked by ghosts. Despite the fact that he probably would do something at some point...

So Danny went ghost quietly, turned _invisible_, and began a quick patrol around the house, er, _castle_, just for safety. He flew around the perimeter – yes, he knew what 'perimeter' meant – and inside the place, through hallways and rooms, but found no ghost. "Really weird..." He ruffled his hair, looking around the hallway he found himself in.

It looked just like the other one, so in sum, he had _no_ _idea_ where he was.

"Found you!" Danny's head whipped around, only to see his _mother_, still in her fancy dress, but wearing those _oh_ so familiar red _goggles_. Danny looked down at himself – yep, still invisible – then back at his mother, who grinned. "Yes, I _see_ you!" Before he could get over his shock, she moved, and a fluorescent green whip tied itself to his wrist, pulling, and he was flying towards his mother.

"Wha!" He cried in surprise. She adjusted her goggles, _'She can see me with those?!' _ He was pulled as his mother whirled around and he hit the ground.

His mother had a lot of strength for a woman her size...

Danny looked back, seeing what looked like the _Fenton Ghost Weasel_ and he quickly moved out of the way, flying straight into the ceiling in a frantic mindless reflex. _'Crud... Now my mom knows I'm here. __And that was too close!__'_

Danny guessed she would need a little time to reach the stairs and get to where he was, so he took a second to breathe – BAM – the sound like a laser-gun made him jump high in the air.

He almost hit the ceiling as he survailled in search for his mother with guns blazing, but she wasn't there.

He was in a big room, but obviously _not_ a guest room.

"_You really should give up, you know?"_ Danny looked past all the posters on the walls and the scattered books and clothes to see a desk with the _best_ computer he's ever seen, with a pretty familiar game being played.

_'Oh, I'm in _his_ room.' _Danny realized Daniel wasn't talking to him – not even looking at him – but was on the phone while gaming instead, now wearing a blue hoodie and looking like an actual normal guy, even if it was probably more expensive than any of Danny's clothes. Obviously he wasn't very busy with the game – Doomed, the very same Danny and Tucker trapped Technus in once – only using one hand to explore and pick items while holding the phone with the other. _"Seriously, it won't work... she's... listen-!"_

Danny blinked and landed back on the ground silently, still invisible, and looked around in curiosity. It looked awfully personalized.

Like Sam's room. She had the money to give her touch in every corner and piece of decoration. This was no different. He obviously liked dark blue and he and Danny had similar tastes and habits, it seemed, but there were some startling differences, like the few Packers posters – a fan just like Vlad – and the decoration he decided to do with an artsy graffiti, and Danny couldn't, for the life of him, understand how his mother allowed Daniel to write things like_ 'Stay in drugs, eat your school and don't do vegetables'_ or _'You never know what you have – until you clean you damn room', _or even the even less believable on the desk corners _'Don't txt your ex' _and _'I love to say fu-'_ followed by_ 'Why would you write that?!' _

"_-Wait, why her? You can't find better...? ...Yeah, but..." _

There were posters of bands and movies, with cases filled with more movies and CDs than Danny could count, some of which Danny himself liked a lot, and it made him wonder if his taste for music and movies came from his mother somehow.

"_Oh really...? Nice plan, idiot. I ain't gonna help you with that."_

Actually, with the exception of being obviously high-class, their rooms were pretty similar. With the exception of being bigger – enough to fit an awesome plasma TV and couch – having its own bathroom, a lot more bookcases and Daniel's dubious humor written on the walls.

"_She has a phobia of men, you dumb idiot...! She won't have sex with you! You don't even _like_ steady relationships, I don't know why you're wasting your time." _

Danny had little contact with older students at Casper High, but he knew they talked of similar topics. Although he's never paid much attention. Danny shook his head and ignored the topic that made him blush a little.

"_What? No, I can't go out drinking... I can't leave my place right now...!" _

The popular older kids also got their hands on alcohol despite being minors. Danny thought Daniel was part of the popular crowd for a second, but one look at the bookcase said otherwise, he saw many psychology titles and overly academic books, some of which he even saw at _Jazz's room_. On the wall, there was a poster of _Stanford University_ – Jazz herself didn't know where to go, obviously because she couldn't choose between all the options...

Again, Danny felt that nagging feeling...

"_I said I can't! There's... We have a 'guest' here, and I don't trust him... It's just... Nothing... I'll tell you after I deal with this. Oh, and _Ryan_? Leave Mindy alone, okay? She's nice... I'll talk to you later." _

Danny knew he wasn't trusted, and he knew would have to undo what he did no matter the resistance, and whatever ambition, dream or friends Daniel had wouldn't matter much...

"Alright, time to beat this _Chaos_ prick!" Danny started at the familiar name, and looked at the computer where Daniel was cracking his knuckles.

_Chaos. _That's... _'Sam? She would be playing this game even if I wasn't around?' _Would she even be friends with _Tucker_ if he wasn't there...?

Danny floated near Daniel to see, and behold, there she was, her avatar's purple frame just like he remembered. Daniel's own was black and blue and _'Oh wow, look at those stats – and that armor!' _Of course, he has money to spend on awesome elite upgrades...

Daniel picked a fight almost immediately and held his own against Sam for an impressive _one minute_– unlike Tucker's and Danny's pathetic attempts that lasted mere seconds before defeat – and dealt a lot of damage while Danny gaped beside him. _'Where did he get that sword?! Where did Sam get that gun?!' _

_Shots fired, dodge, grenade, slashing, running..._

Danny held his breath as Sam got to 5% of health and Daniel had a manic smile on his face that disappeared as soon as Sam attacked.

_Critical Hit!_

"Aah! Goddammit...!" He heard Daniel groan at his defeat, rubbing his face in frustration while Sam had 3% of HP left. The 'Rivalry board' system marked 23 to 21, Sam's winning. "Lucky shot... I'm _so_ beating you next time...!" He muttered as Sam's avatar laughed. "Smug prick..."

_'Man, I miss this game now...' _He thought as Daniel exited the game. _'Not just the game... Sam-' _Danny sighed, and Daniel flinched, freezing in place. Danny stiffened and moved away like a startled animal. _'He couldn't have heard me.'_

Daniel seemed to relax, even as his fists clenched. Danny thought that maybe he should leave now. He took a step back, already floating slightly when-

_Knock knock _

His eyes snapped to the side, where the door opened, revealing his mother.

_Goggleless. _She couldn't see him...

"Hi, honey! Are you okay in here?"

"Oh, I'm fine..."

"That's good, you looked a bit jumpy during dinner... Oh, and have you seen a _ghost_ around here?" His mother sounded hushed and excited. Probably because she wanted to _dissect_ him. Yipee.

"Uh, no, haven't seen them. Why?" Daniel acted like this was a normal occurrence. So, his mother didn't hide her ghost obsession from him. But, wait, he didn't notice a ghost near him? Why else would he say there was none to his mother?

"Oh, nothing, just... Well, thanks anyway, and honey, it's an 'it', not a 'he or she'." She sounded amused, almost giggly with the wordplay.

Danny frowned in exasperation. _'Gee, thanks...'_

"Yeah, sure..." Daniel droned, sounding as exasperated as Danny. Danny saw him casually reach into the drawer of his desk, but paid no mind to it.

Maybe he _shouldn't_ go looking for the portal when his mother was prowling around on high-alert. _Back to my room it is.' _Or maybe he should stop avoiding what he had to do. This is much more difficult than he expected...

Just two seconds after his mother closed the door, Danny had an ecto-gun pointed at his direction.

Daniel had stood up and was now glaring directly at him. "Who the hell are _you_...?!" He whispered angrily.

Danny gaped and staggered back. "You _see_ me...?!"

Daniel frowned as Danny regained visibility again. A mistake, as Daniel's eyes quickly flashed with recognition and widened, he lowered the ecto-gun. "...You-" Danny didn't wait to hear anything and pushed past the wall, intangibly reaching another room, and then flying down.

Danny shook his head in disbelief with a sense of panic nagging him in the back of his head. "Crud, crud, crud...!" He went down until he reached the ground floor. From there, he found the dining room easily, and from there he quickly found his room from memory alone, zipping past the occasional maid who flipped whatever they were holding when the white specter few by so quickly.

Danny flew inside, intangible and through the door, turned back to human and slumped against the closed door. "That was a disaster...! How did he...?!" Messily rubbing his hair, Danny walked to the bed and threw himself to its comfort.

Danny noticed how tired he was...

But the bed did little to comfort him in the end. _'How did he recognize me?! No one has ever recognized me right away! __And how did he _see_ me?! Only ghosts can see other invisible ghosts!__' _Danny sat up and stared at the door, waiting for Daniel to come and ask questions to snatch the truth out of him.

A few seconds passed.

Or minutes... Danny closed his eyes for just a second...

"You're awful at this, you know...?"

Danny snapped his eyes open. _'I fell asleep?!' _He hurriedly sat up to look at the door, Daniel leaning against it and looking tired and in a bad mood.

Danny felt just as tired, and against his better judgment, he groaned. "What?"

Daniel merely blinked at him, then frowned. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not here for chit-chat." Danny noticed the folded papers in his hand as he walked around his bed and sat on the chair by the desk. "Where did you say you were from?"

"I... I didn't." A prickly feeling was passing through his spine. Why does it matter? As the sudden haze of sleep left him, he remembered that he was supposedly recognized.

While he was _invisible_...

Daniel stared quietly for a few seconds. "Well?" He finally said. "_Where_, then?"

Danny raised an eyebrow and then raised a hand in a pacifying manner. "Look, I don't see how this is any of your business-" He could just ignore the matter entirely. Maybe Daniel wasn't sure of what he saw, or maybe he didn't _really_ recognize him...

Yeah right.

"You're not from Wisconsin, are you?"

"Huh? No, I-"

"Minnesota, then?" He asked a bit harshly.

_'He's doing it again...!' _Danny panicked before his own mind retaliated quickly. _'__Idiot! __Just don't look at him then!' _So he childishly looked away, crossing his arms in defiance.

"Iowa?" It sounded like he was losing his patience.

Danny remained stubbornly silent, but not seeing his face didn't seem to deter Daniel at all.

"Illinois?"

_'Don't panic!' _His mind snapped. _'He can't see your face.'_

"Illinois it is..."

His eyes widened and he whirled around. "How the-" '_the heck did he-!'_

"You flinched." He said, opening the folded papers and scanning them quickly. "Like I said, you're not very good at this, so stop _trying_ so hard."

Danny gritted his teeth, standing up to look a bit taller than the older boy in front of him. "Okay, I didn't say where I was from. So what?"

Daniel's eyes looked up from the what he was reading with a look that clearly said 'are you stupid?' "If you're going to forge a _fake_ _background_, you should always imagine that sooner or later, _someone_ is going to check this background of yours, even if they really have no reason, or even the means to do so."

Danny remained quiet, shaking his head a little when understanding failed to hit him. "And that means...?"

"It means," He sighed in exasperation. "I asked a... friend... to check, cross-reference with the information I already had, Caucasian, black hair, blue eyes, short, 13 to 15 years old who's possibly a sophomore in high school, by the name of 'Danny Foley'. That a little while ago, of course. Needless to say, no Foley in Illinois, or anywhere else, matches your description..."

Danny wanted to kick himself. _'Good one, stupid.' _Such a typical _Vlad-move_. He really had no idea what to say at this point. He was rarely called on his lies, so he assumed he had actually gotten good at hiding things, from his parents or teachers. He didn't think he would be caught so quickly.

On other hand, Daniel didn't mention the half-ghost thing...

Daniel dropped the papers carelessly on the desk, leaning back on the chair. "Now _what _will you do...? I mean, this 'friend' won't keep secrets for me, he's actually dad's friend, so my parents will be hearing about this in the morning. You don't really have much time now."

_'Time... Right.' _Danny frowned when he remembered. He didn't want to be here when Vlad heard about this, although, he wasn't sure what they would do to him if they found out.

"_Unless..._ you don't _need_ to stay that long." The 'threat tone' was painfully obvious.

"Uh..." Danny took a step back, towards the door, giving a short, forced laugh. "Okay, so I have secrets. So? And you know what?" He was almost at the door. "Maybe I should just leave, you know?"

"Right, you should..." Daniel frowned slightly, forcing a stiff smile. "By the way," Danny saw him rubbing his hands, sounding strangely cautious now, choosing his words a little slowly. "mom said you asked about a _Ghost Portal_..." He stood up, walking cautiously towards Danny.

Most of the time they talked, Daniel sounded very confident with himself, but now he was being... too careful.

"Yeah, well, I-"

"...Its existence is not a very public fact."

Danny reached for the doorknob, looking away just briefly to find it. He really shouldn't have stayed so long. He should have gone to Clockwork immediately, as soon as he got the chance to look for the portal. Which was hours ago.

But Daniel grabbed his wrist, he felt his arm locking stiffly with a tingly sensation that reached his spine and chest and made him grimace in discomfort. It was gone before he could think too much about it.

"_You_ were in my room, before." It certainly wasn't a question. "Mom might be too close-minded to consider the possibility, and dad is against the very idea of even _thinking_ about ghosts. But I'm not stupid."

The cat was out of the bag, great. Danny gritted his teeth. This conversation wasn't going to end well... Neither Vlad nor Daniel trusted him, and heck, Daniel already knew he was a ghost! He couldn't waste any more time on this, he had to find the portal and change things back _now_...

Danny intangibly pulled his arm free, Daniel flinched and took a cautious step back.

"Look, I just need to find someone in the Ghost Zone." It wasn't a lie, so Daniel couldn't point fingers. He was okay with a half-truth it seems.

"Oh, really?" Daniel looked like he was formulating a question. He didn't look confused by the term 'Ghost Zone', so he was probably familiar with it. "...Is there... _anything_ _else_ that might concern me, _or_ my parents?"

_'Yes.' _was the immediate response. He couldn't think of any way to circle around his question. _'Darn it... Anything but that would be a lie...' _He used those specific words on purpose? Of course...

"Well, if you don't give me a good reason to let you go, you'll have to go through me to use that portal." Daniel said lightly, crossing his arms.

Danny shook his head. He _could_ just go, and Daniel really couldn't stop him, but... Danny didn't want to fight, and he doubted Daniel was capable like his mother, or even _Valerie _for that matter. "You don't understand, I _have_ to do this, and I don't want to hurt you."

He was a rich kid, he had no reason to learn how to fight, right? His mother didn't teach Danny to fight either.

"Hurt me...?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Ah... Funny you should say that, because-" Danny blinked when hearing his airy tone, and in a second, he was grabbed by the neck and pulled back, freezing in shock at the speed he was _thrown_.

Straight at the _window_.

Danny hissed at the pain as his back hit the glass first, shattering on impact and in a second he hit the ground, two floors down – if he were a normal human, that could have killed him, for sure. Danny rubbed his back, scrubbing off loose shards of glass that probably cut his skin, and looked up in bewilderment.

Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down on him with a look that was decidedly condescending. But what took the cake were his eyes, much like Danny's ghostly green eyes, but red instead.

"Like I said. Through _me_ first."

It hit Danny so quickly that he was embarrassed that he didn't think of it before. "Y-you're a_ half-ghost_...?! That's why you could see me?!"

"Naturally." Daniel rolled his ghostly red eyes. He didn't raise his voice, probably knowing that Danny could hear him easily.

"B-but, how-"

Daniel jumped from his spot, landing on the ground in front of Danny nimbly and with little effort, then grabbed Danny by the collar and pointed at his chest. "'But' nothing. You go _anywhere_ near that portal without my say-so, and I'll _end_ you." His glare was fierce, and then he let go of his collar carelessly, blinking his eyes back to the normal indigo and stepping away, as if waiting for Danny to disagree with the terms.

Danny stared with wide eyes at him. Then back at the broken window. His shoulders fell and he sighed. "Great..." _'That's what I get for being so stupid...' _

He stood up, feeling the burning pain on his back fading slowly as his natural healing kicked in. He was used to being beat up, but he rarely got bleeding wounds. Ecto-energy was the ghosts' weapon of choice, and they burnt and hurt a lot, but never drew _blood_.

Danny frowned at Daniel. "You're really not gonna let me use the portal...?"

Daniel only smirked softly. "Nope." It looked a bit forced, and the smirk was soon gone.

Danny mentally hoped he wasn't like Vlad. Most times, Danny beat him on luck... _'He can't possibly be stronger than Vlad... I'll just have to wing it...' _Possibly lose him and look for the portal on his own.

That was the easiest route. He didn't have a _thermos_ after all.

Danny remained in human form, still feeling reluctant in transforming right in front of someone other than Sam or Tucker, or another ghost, or even Vlad. Daniel also remained human, as calm as he could be. Normally Danny would think Daniel was just underestimating him, but he knew _that_ look. He's seen it on Vlad's eyes a million times already.

He's _scheming_ something.

In fact, he probably had something planned already, and was just waiting for Danny to fall into his trap, whatever it was.

So Danny didn't want to attack first.

Daniel moved, but he didn't attack, he only started walking to the side calmly, cautiously circling, and Danny did the same. _'What is he waiting for? For me to __transform, or maybe run__?'_

This waiting was getting on his nerves. Danny had his back to the windowed wall at this point, frames of narrow, ghotic-looking windows, and he was starting to think that Daniel wouldn't attack, he only had his hand slightly raised, as if ready to defend with a shield, like Vlad usually did.

It _wasn't_ to defend though. Like a quick draw, Danny had less than a second to react and dodged an ecto-blast on reflex. It hit the wall, broke past the windows with a surprising amount of energy, hot in a way Danny wasn't accustomed to.

"Huh..." He heard Daniel. "Good reflexes..."

It wasn't pink like Vlad's, it was _red_, and Danny could still see the remains of its energy simmering on the window frames, burning slowly and leaving them fragile, uncomfortably reminding Danny of the Ghost King's ecto-energy.

"Do you fight, usually?" Daniel sounded... curious...

"You have _no_ idea," Danny responded on reflex. He fought ghosts every day, to the point where it was inconvenient. But then he remembered that maybe, Daniel had similar experiences with ghosts coming out of the portal. "Or maybe you do."

"Right, I do."

"...How did you get your powers...?" Danny couldn't help but ask. Did a friend dare him to walk in his mother's portal like Sam had asked Danny?

"Oh, you know," Daniel sighed, pulling a watch out of his pocket, casually fiddling with it, and in just a second, he put it back. Danny raised an eyebrow at that. "Kids being kids, playing in the wrong place and all..." He didn't elaborate further.

It was bad news to Danny... He probably had them for longer than Danny, considering his wretched luck.

"But how did _you_ get yours? Last time I checked, you need a portal..." Daniel asked, but then shrugged. "But... what do _I_ know...? I've never _met_ someone like me."

"..." Danny wasn't sure how to respond, but Daniel didn't give him time to.

"And since you're a _novelty_, I don't _really_ want to fight you, I mean, how many times does one meet another half-ghost around here...?" He started walking a bit closer. "But I guess I don't really have a choice, you're not giving me one, because I don't _trust_ you at all-"

Is he rambling? Danny frowned in confusion for a second, then his eyes brightened. _'Oh, this is perfect! Maybe I can just slip away while he's distracted.' _He could barely hold his laugh.

Daniel likes _monologu__ing_. Just like Vlad, and like every villain _ever_.

"Whoa, wait!" Daniel started suddenly. "Am I _monologuing_...?"

Crud. Danny's amusement was gone in less than a second. "Oh, you noticed..."

"Dammit! I'm _not_ the villain here...! _You are_!" No sooner than that, Danny had to dodge a punch, but wasn't quick enough, getting hit straight on the jaw with an ecto-energy infused fist that _burned _on his human skin, and it almost felt like something cracked_._ The disorientation was minimal, as Danny was brusquely pushed past the already brittle window frames and inside the castle again.

He hit the ground, his head hitting it harder than expected and was about to receive another punch that promised pain, but Danny bent his leg up, kicking the older boy and pushing him away and across the hallway they were in.

Yet another copy of a hallway with very similar decor.

Danny's immediate reaction was to shoot an ecto-blast at his enemy, which Daniel quickly rolled out of the way. _'He's a lot __quicker__ than I am in human form...' _Fighting in human form was a no go then, so Danny quickly changed into his ghost form, ignoring little glass shards and wood splinters from the window frame.

But Daniel remained in human form. _'Does he __even__ have a ghost form?' _Surprisingly, his enemy was smiling, looking happy and energetic. "You're having _fun_ with this?!"

"Of course!" He pressed himself against the wall as if wanting more distance between them. "I just _love_ a good fight! It's _always_ a thrill..." He hissed the last part, creepily excited about the prospect of beating someone up.

_'Great... __T__he ones who _love_ their jobs are always the most annoyingly difficult to deal with.'_ Danny thought as he remembered _Skulker_ almost immediately. Never giving up...

This would just keep getting worse and worse. Danny was already tired, which was _not_ normal. He usually lasted longer than _this_ before breaking a sweat... He had to end this before he lost his chance completely, because who knew what Daniel would do to him if he beat him.

Danny had the impression that Daniel simply wouldn't believe a single word that came out of his mouth, even if he says nothing but the truth, so talking was out of question.

"...You know what?" Daniel said suddenly, frowning and smiling with a look that was positively _devious_, looking just past Danny's shoulder for only a second. "We really _don't_ have to fight... because_ you already lost._" He whispered the last part.

"Huh?" Danny blinked, only briefly feeling as if someone was right behind him and hearing a... _vacuum_?

Uh-oh...

"Get away from my son, ghost!" A feminine voice said and Danny already felt stuck to something, something pulling, he saw his _mother_ smiling in victory and Daniel smirking deviously, and in just an agonizing second he was _locked up_.

Stuck.

In the _Fenton Ghost Weasel_ that was no longer _Fenton._

With his _mother_...

Danny sighed inside the cramped space. It was one of those moments where the only thing he could think of was '_crud_'.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so tired. Hopefully it was okay. I mean, the chapter might look a little different on the second half, but that's because I wrote it after more than a month of _nothing _so yeah, and then the ending, I wrote after _months_ of no writing at all. I didn't want to wait and give it a rewrite. It's about time I put something up.**

**I can't seem to find any interesting DP fic these days, by the way. It's like I've read everything worth reading already... So I started reading other stuff. Like Harry Potter and Assassin's Creed. Anyone knows any good fics, for either of those?**

**So, please review! Give me your thoughts! I still have great ideas for this story. A few months didn't diminish my interest in it! In fact, it got better!**

**See ya!**


	3. Rightfulness

**A/N: There was something wrong with me while I was writing MKB because it's like it's _too dark_ for me now, and I'm not sure how to continue. That dark, sinister feeling and inspiration is just not there anymore. Nhe... My creepy muse is gone?**

**Anyway, I updated this fic! Wow, right? I don't even know why, I should be studying, but I got a lot of love for this fic, probably because I've got my character here. Originally I was writing my novel, and since the last update, I had around 16 plot-bunnies for other fics, and 3 other novel ideas! And they're all good stuff, but MAN! I don't have the time to write all of that! **

**So, let's focus here for a second, because I like this fic a lot more than any other I've ever written, despite the smaller number of reviews. I'm still giddy with all the reviews anyway, and that says a lot about my love for this fic and for all of you! Seriously thanks! Kya!**

**Anyway, I'm not sure what to think about this chapter... I kinda liked it, but I'm always on edge about everything I do, sooooo... the usual: Forgive grammar mistakes, and let me know what you thought. It's a lot of talking here. And arguing.**

**EDIT: _A kind and lovely reviewer reminded me that a few things in this chapter weren't in agreement with the last two chapters, but that was me being unattentive, and messing things up. So, if the chapter has extra dialogue/monologues, it's because I added/changed a few things. I'm just fixing things for future readers. I'm so, so sorry!_**

* * *

_**Mistakes &amp; Consequences **_

**Chapter 03**

**Rightfulness**

* * *

Danny groaned, attempting to move or stretch in the tiny space available, trying to find a more comfortable position, then stopped and sighed when noticing he made it even worse than before.

He knew how tight the Ghost Weasel's rectangular-ish box was, but this one felt smaller than he remembered.

It was constantly swaying lightly as his mother walked, then the box suddenly rattled. It continued moving at a steady pace after a second. Danny craned – or tried to crane – his neck to look at the general direction his mother was. "Hey! Could you _not_ do that?!"

"_Oh, shush, ghost!" _His mother retorted from outside.

Danny gritted his teeth in frustration, biting back a grunt of annoyance. Danny reached this castle roughly a day ago. His purpose was to find a portal and fix his mistake. But this bizarre reality continued to kick him while he was down and right where it hurts. Someone's existence was on the line, someone with dreams and hopes, but that was because Danny meddled.

What could he do at this point? He didn't know, and it was driving him crazy.

Unaware of his inner turmoil, his mother continued with a softer tone, most likely directed to the bane of his existence for the time being. _"Anyway, honey? Have you talked with Danny?" _

_'Huh?' _Danny blinked. Was she talking about him now?

"_Huh?"_ He couldn't help but notice how Daniel sounded almost exactly like him when confused.

"_I hope you tried being friendly. He sounds like such a nice kid..." _His mother sounded a bit eager and enthusiastic about it. Danny only wanted to snort in derision.

_'Yeah, 'friendly' is the right word alright.' _Could he blame him? No. Was he pissed? Yes.

There was a dry chuckle. _"Well, I'm not so sure." _Daniel said. Darn it, Danny knew exactly what he was thinking. Danny was stuck right beside them without his mother realizing it, and Daniel was probably pretty satisfied with himself, enjoying that irony.

The satisfaction of solving a problem _before_ it becomes a problem was something Danny himself was unfamiliar with. It probably felt good. The lucky son of a- Danny stopped himself. He wouldn't let Daniel rub off on him that easily.

"_Really? I thought you two would get along?"_

"_Hmm, yeah, I don't think so." _

Danny frowned at his smug tone. _'When I get out of here...' _

"_Oh, Dan-Dan, you shouldn't be so quick to judge people."_

A second of silence. _"...P-please don't call me that!" _

Danny laughed out loud.

_"Shut up in there!" _

"_It's just a ghost, honey. Ignore it." _His mother chirped, rattling the box a bit more and making Danny even more uncomfortable somehow. _"And what have I told you about _judging_ like that?" _

"_He lies like it's no one's business, what did you expect? And he's terrible at it too! I'm surprised dad didn't say anything." _

Yeah, why didn't Vlad say anything yet? Danny expected him to be unbearable, but Daniel was the only one giving him headaches in nearly every possible sense, along with his own mother now. Danny heard her sighing tiredly, like she's had this argument before. _"You know, sometimes people tell small little lies because they're afraid. It doesn't mean they have bad intentions towards you."_

Danny blinked in contemplation at her words. The swaying motion stopped. They probably stopped walking.

"_Whatever you say, mom..."_

"_Okay, then... Go to bed, it's late already. We'll talk to Danny about these things tomorrow." _

He heard Daniel scoffing. "_...Something tells me he won't be here tomorrow..."_

Danny heard another sigh from his mother, but there was no reply, and soon she was walking again, this time in silence. He didn't feel like she would talk to him even if he tried instigating a conversation. He tried to move again, feeling a bit sore despite the fact that he had no actual _bones_ in this form.

He really forgot how uncomfortable the Ghost Weasel was...

Danny then frowned. He needed to get out of there. There was nothing his mother wouldn't do to a ghost in favor of science and his situation wasn't looking very good.

It felt like they went down some stairs, then in a minute or so, he heard the sound of metal doors, then the familiar hum of electrical equipment of a lab. _'So m__om _has_ a lab... I should have looked for it before...'. _Some other part of his brain said _'Oh-uh... A lab...'_. He wouldn't be in this mess if he had been proactive. He felt a tinge of regret in his gut.

Soon enough, there was a pull somewhere inside the box, and before he could orient himself, he was thrown against a hard surface. "Whoa! Where-" Danny looked around and gasped.

This was definitely a lab. A million times more organized – and expensive – than the chaotic mess of the Fenton Lab at home. It had a pink hue to it, but the exposed sharp bits of tools didn't make that girly decor any less frightening. There was a blinding light somewhere on the ceiling, a machine pointed at him, and he couldn't move his arms or ankles.

Anti-Ghost bindings. _Great_...

"Alright, _ghost_." She always spat the word 'ghost' with that tone of disdain, even back home. "Those are reinforced, so don't waste energy trying to break out." His mother was smirking excitedly, rubbing her gloved hands. "However," She pulled her left glove, seeing the hour on the watch beneath it and rolling her eyes. "...Can't have my husband wondering where I am at this hour, now can we...?" She mumbled, probably to herself, and walked away, taking the goggles off. She was wearing that same teal jumpsuit, along with a pristine white lab coat.

His father always said lab coats were for _priss__y_ people. He must have gotten that opinion at some point after college, and then convinced his mother to follow along.

She ignored his presence entirely and walked through the archway leading to another part of the lab. He could faintly hear her humming in content, and in a minute she pranced out of the lab, going upstairs with her pink dress in hand.

After a second of silence, Danny started struggling with the bindings. He groaned with the strain and lack of results. "Yeah, really reinforced. I can tell..." He looked around, but didn't see an obvious way out, so... Not good. He couldn't be there when she comes back...

"Well, lookie here..."

Danny looked to his right and growled. "I thought you were going to bed."

Daniel frowned but didn't lose the smirk. "I thought my mother was going to _tear you apart_." He sat on the table Danny was laying on and tilted his head at the device pointing at the strapped ghost. It was big and bulky, and if Danny had to guess, he would say it was a laser beam that would do more than just 'tear him apart'. "She's always excited about destroying ghosts."

"What about you? You were working just fine together." Maddie never let him near ghosts because she thought he was a normal human, a fragile one at that, but he didn't see that hesitation with Daniel. Did she know Daniel was a half-ghost? And yet accepted it?

"What? We weren't 'working together'. She gave me this little watch-thingy so I could alert her where I was, if I got into trouble... since I uh, attracted ghosts like a beacon, back then..." His words and tone faltered, but then he brightened up again. "She doesn't know about me, and don't waste your breath trying to tell her. I can talk my way out of anything." He shrugged, voice with conviction and confidence. Then he blinked at the device, pulling the front piece that looked like a smaller laser beam, connected by a cable. "Huh, check this out. This laser here can cut you to shreds!"

Danny gaped at the smaller laser pointing at him. It looked like it would shot something very concentrated, and it would most likely hurt a lot more than instant vaporization like the bigger one apparently offered. "Whoa, wait, you psycho!"

"I don't think 'psycho' means what you think it means." Daniel raised an amused eyebrow, again looking a bit too much like Vlad. Danny looked back and forth between him and the laser in his hand.

"Uh, yes it does! You can't just _cut_ me with that!"

Daniel rolled his eyes and dropped the device carelessly. "You're still wrong, in the technical sense. But enough joking." Daniel looked down, rubbing his hands. "I don't want to _kill_ you. I admit I don't have the guts for that. Hell, I don't even want to hurt you anymore."

"Could have fooled me." Danny said with a deadpan stare.

Daniel ignored him. "_But_ I can't let you go when I don't know what you want. How can I, when you might hurt me or my family?"

"But I don't want to hurt you!" Well, not technically. The thought of changing things back... A part of his mind continued to insist that it counted as 'hurting'. The lingering doubt was making him hesitate every time he stated the same thing. "I mean-" Danny exhaled heavily in frustration at his inability to explain himself. How could he explain that someone only existed because someone else changed the past?

Daniel scoffed. "Let me guess. You don't _know_."

"...It's complicated."

"It's always complicated."

He had no idea. "...It's _really_ complicated..."

Daniel gave him a tired look for several seconds before he sighed in exasperation. "Okay, _look_. I've never met another half-ghost, so... I really want to help you out. But-"

"Wait! You never met another half-ghost? But-" Of course... Jack Fenton never came to Wisconsin, and Vlad and his mother never went to Amity Park. Why would they ever meet each other if Danny weren't there?

Although, even if Vlad was a prick, Danny still managed to get some guidance – he would never admit it – even if it was guidance on where _not_ to go, and ideas of how to use his powers, even if it was just to beat him somehow.

Daniel however, was completely on his own...

"No, I haven't, I even said that before, and _don't_ interrupt me." Daniel flickered him on the head and then sighed. "Anyway, just... tell me the truth, and _maybe_ I'll get you out of here."

Danny bit his lower lip and looked away. Okay, so Daniel was _not_ a lunatic like Vlad, he would accept that much, and he was even willing to listen. That's an improvement. But would he believe him? Or understand? Or even accept it? If he did, Danny would be free in no time, but what then? What would do or say when he got to Clockwork?

"Start with your name." Daniel prodded.

Danny sighed, furrowing his brows together. "...It's Danny _Fenton_..."

Daniel blinked in surprise, mirth leaving his face, then he straightened. It's like something clicked. "Oh." His response was soft and anticlimactic.

"You know about 'Jack Fenton'...?"

"Uh... I heard that name, once or twice..." He rubbed the back of his neck, something Danny himself has a habit of doing. He didn't really notice when he did, but Jazz pointed it out for him more than once. "What I _know_ is that if there's something dad hates more than ghosts is the name 'Fenton'. So, I guess you had a reason to lie..."

His mother had mentioned it, and Danny was surprised when he realized that her reasoning was spot on. Danny was afraid. Not just of what Vlad would do, but of this whole situation. He was sure that Daniel was remembering his mother's advice, word by word.

"Then you're related to him, or something?"

"Yeah... Kinda. I mean, he's my father, but..." How does he explain this again?

"Mom said he was their lab partner back in college." Daniel rubbed his chin in thought. "There was some sort of accident with a prototype ghost portal. Whatever happened, she regrets it, a _lot_." He narrowed his eyes at Danny. "Do _you_ know more about that?"

Danny gulped, shifting on the table. "Yeah, uh... The portal sort of blew up and hit dad. He, uh..." Danny frowned when trying to find the words, but he didn't need to finish talking because Daniel's eyes widened as he reached a conclusion on his own.

Daniel left his seat on the table to pace. "So he became a half-ghost too, of course!" He sounded a bit excited and walked back to Danny. "That's why you have your powers?"

"Not exactly."

"Hm. Did he build another portal then?"

"Uh, no." Danny gulped again. This was the part where things get complicated, and possibly messy, if Daniel didn't like it. "Y-you see, I met this ghost called Clockwork in the Ghost Zone,"

Daniel stayed quiet, but turned his head a bit, frowning in confusion.

"He can control time, and he let me go back to _that_ day, and I ended up changing... a few... things...?" Danny winced when Daniel started giving him what he could call the shifty eyes.

"...What do you mean?" He drawled.

"Vlad was the one who got hit, originally..."

Daniel stared at him blankly.

"And Maddie and Jack are my parents..."

Still staring.

If Danny had a heart in this form, it would be hammering in his chest. Why did he think this was a good idea again? He could almost see the wheels turning as Daniel processed the information he just got, as loosely as Danny had presented it. It didn't look like he didn't believe Danny.

After a few seconds, Daniel walked a bit closer, hesitantly. "Say that again...?" There was definitely a great amount of focus as he stared hard at Danny, as if trying to spot something he missed the first time.

Trying to spot the lie.

"Uh... They're my parents. I changed things, by accident."

Daniel stared for a few seconds, then moved away. His shoulders dropped – Danny didn't even notice they were tense – and he looked around the lab, as if contemplating something. "Uh-huh... Well..." His voice sounded a bit shaky, and Danny had no idea how he caught that particular detail.

Danny averted his eyes, then looked back again. If someone told him that, how would he react? Honestly, Danny wouldn't believe it...

Daniel raised an eyebrow, but he didn't look amused at all. "So... you want to go back, and change things. Back to 'normal'." He emphasized the word with air quotes, then crossed his arms. "And I'm guessing I don't even exist in this 'normal'?"

"Y-you don't..." What else could he say? Lie to his face? Daniel would see right through him. He might as well tell him the truth, he was cornered anyway. "I-I don't know what else to say, and I'm really sorry! But I can't leave things as they are...!"

The blank look he received didn't say 'sympathy'. Daniel closed his eyes and nodded slowly and after a second he opened them to glare. "It's not like I care." He hissed. Danny's eyes widened, and then Daniel turned around and started walking away. "Good luck with the lasers. And the _scalpels_."

"W-wait!" Danny called. "You _have_ to understand! None of this should be happening!"

Daniel stopped, and his shoulders tensed, and after a second of silence he turned around, scowling with ghostly red eyes and hissing like a snake with his words. "What _shouldn't_ happen is the Ghost of fucking _Time_ letting a _twit_ like you play god...!" He grabbed him by the collar of his suit and pulled as much as he could with the bindings holding Danny back. Danny hissed in pain.

"I was trying to save my friends! If Vlad wasn't such a crazy _bastard_, I wouldn't have done anything!" Danny wasn't used to calling anyone that, but he felt a mad need to defend his actions, because this was _Vlad's fault_! There was no way Danny needed to pay _so much_ for what that fruitloop has done! All of this grief over this decision was his fault!

"Like hell that's an acceptable excuse!" Daniel pushed him back on the table.

Danny gritted his teeth, glaring back. "It's not an _excuse_! You can't do this!"

"Oh, no, no, no! You don't get to be pissed off at me! This is _your_ doing!"

"You don't understand! This is wrong and I need to fix this!"

"How about you learn to live with the consequences of what you've done, instead of whining and blaming other people?!" Daniel pointed at him accusingly. "And you know what?! You can take your excuses, and shove them up your-!"

A noise rang in the lab. They both stopped glaring at each other and turned around. A door opened somewhere in the lab. Daniel quickly turned invisible and moved away from Danny, off somewhere he couldn't see.

In just a few seconds, his mother walked in, wearing her teal jumpsuit and lab coat again. She was humming as she walked.

Danny panted as the anger left him, watching her every step and trying not to look like he was arguing loudly just seconds ago. But it didn't look like she heard them.

She stopped just in front of him and flicked a switch on the machine pointed at him. It hummed to life. "Alright, _ghost_. Where were we?"

Danny pressed his lips together. A quick look around and he spotted Daniel hidden behind the archway his mother walked through. He was watching with a hard glare, eyes back to the normal indigo like his mother's.

Maddie however, was still in front of him. "No talking? Are you sure?" She drawled. Then she looked confusedly at the compact laser Daniel had misplaced, but shrugged and picked it.

"W-wait!" Danny tried, and his mother demonstrated what Daniel had stated earlier, activating the laser that burned even when it didn't quite touch him yet. Danny shrank away from the beam, as much as he could in his position.

"Let's start by how did you get here_?_ And why were you attacking my son?"

The beam was cutting dangerously close to his arm. Danny felt sweat running down his temple. "I wasn't! Stop!"

"Oh, scream all you want, ghost!" His mother gloated, but stopped anyway. "This lab is completely _soundproof_! No one can hear you!"

Ah, so that's why she didn't hear them... Not that it matters when she's threatening to cut him to pieces!

"So I'm going to ask again. _How _did you get here, in the Human World?" She pointed the device at his face, its energy prickling his skin like needles. "It wasn't through the portal, it's been closed for weeks! So answer me!"

"Wait, that's-" Should he say it? Daniel was still watching, waiting. If he was really good at talking his way out of trouble, then he must be good at convincing people too. Danny had the sinking feeling that he was waiting for Danny to tell his mother the truth so he could apply some damage-control.

...But his mother... Looking at her from an operating table and being interrogated like a stranger didn't sit well with him. In fact, it drew nothing but the fear he always had of being torn apart 'molecule by molecule'. Telling her the truth was his last hope, so he had to try.

"I'm... I'm your son!"

His mother blinked in surprise, and then shrank away in confusion and shock. Daniel gritted his teeth. He was going to jump in... So Danny continued.

"Y-yours, and Jack Fenton's!"

Maddie's eyes narrowed behind the goggles. "Liar! I haven't seen Jack Fenton in _years_! And he blames me for that accident...! Vlad told me so... We ran away here to escape his ghostly wrath." His mother growled the last part, waving the device, while Daniel stared back and forth between them. Danny guessed he didn't know about that last part.

"What?" Danny blinked. "That's insane! He's still totally in love with you!"

"He is...?"

There was a sliver of anticipation, maybe hope on her face. Something he hadn't seen in her face since he got there. It was a warm feeling, seeing her like that, but Daniel was glaring daggers at him, and just when he moved to intervene, a form flew in through the ceiling. Daniel jumped in surprise and hid completely out of sight.

"Maddie!" Said a familiar baritone voice.

His mother dropped the laser and her eyes widened. "Jack?! B-but- but Vlad told me you never wanted to see me again!" Danny could hear the heartbreak in his mother's voice. It cracked like she wanted to cry.

"I'm sorry, Maddie," He turned back into a human, revealing his bad case of ecto-acne. "I never stopped wanting to see you again! I-I just couldn't face you as something you despised, a ghost...!" He spat the word, just like Maddie does. Jack was forcing his voice. He wanted to cry too, but was forcing it down. "But I had to come, because of this...!" He pulled a wallet.

Their family picture... The one Danny had show him to prove his words...

His mother picked it with trembling hands, her mouth slightly gaping as she took in every detail. "B-but..."

Danny still couldn't see Daniel. He knew he was listening, but he didn't know what he was thinking, or what he would do, if he would somehow try to salvage the situation.

"He went back in time, and accidentally changed something. You weren't supposed to marry Vlad!" His father smiled at her, a hint of hope and bubbly childishness Danny hadn't seen since he got to this new reality. Something like the old Jack he knew and loved.

His mother turned to him, as if seeking confirmation.

"Yeah, accidentally..." He couldn't help but wince.

His mother took a quick breath in amazement. "Oh, Jack...!" She sobbed and hugged him! Danny grinned in relief at the sight, feeling like a huge weight just lifted itself from his shoulders. He missed his parents, missed seeing them together, and such familiar display was a sight for sore eyes.

"...Mom?" A hesitant voice called, and Danny's tentative smile disappeared. His mother untangled herself from the hug to look at the archway, where her son was, and quickly went to him.

Danny frowned. Daniel looked shaken. Almost scared. But he was a good liar, he knew. He was going to say whatever he could to convince her to stay away from his father. If someone could free him-

The bindings disappeared. Danny was startled for a second, and then he saw his father smiling at him. He mouthed a 'thanks', sitting up and leave the table, finally standing on his own feet.

Maddie was talking to Daniel. He didn't say anything, just looked at his mother with a look worth of _pity_. "I'm sorry I hid that from you, honey... I-" She hugged him, and from that position, he glared icily at both him and his father. Much like Vlad's glare, like a coiled snake ready to bite.

His father's eyes were wide and disbelieving. "...I-I didn't know you two had a kid..." He sounded painfully dejected.

Once his mother moved away, the icy glare disappeared instantly, replaced by an anxious look that made her bite her lower lip in... what? Regret...? Daniel persuaded his mother without saying a single word. He knew it when she turned to them with a somber look. "Jack... I'm sorry, but... I can't do this...!"

Danny's eyes widened. Daniel sneered when his mother wasn't looking, watching Danny and Jack carefully.

She looked at the picture again. "W-we need to think of something else..." She finally said.

His father looked at Danny, then at his mother like he wanted to protest, but one look at Daniel's glare was enough to make him falter. "Maddie..."

"Now what is this, my dear?" Someone said at the door, and everyone turned to see a really angry Vlad holding an ecto-weapon. The Ecto-Foamer Danny had seen in the closet. "I thought you were only experimenting again, taking a bit too long this time, but _this _is a bit much, no?" He then turned to his father with an ugly scowl.

"Vlad..." His mother uttered. "How did you-"

"Know about the lab? Oh, my dear, I know everything that happens in this house." He sneered, while Daniel stiffened, taking a step back. "_Yes_, son, I know you 'borrowed' the Porsche last year. Let's not talk about that now." The last part came as a deadpan, and he cocked the gun again. Daniel winced and muttered a tiny '_sorry_'. Danny saw how his shoulders dropped though, probably in relief that Vlad wasn't talking about his ghost-half.

"Vlad." His father growled, readying himself for a fight.

"Jack." Vlad aimed the ecto-gun. "How about you, _and your little friend_, leave _my_ family alone?"

"Wait a second, Vlad!" His mother interrupted, pulling Daniel, who looked a bit startled by her tone, behind her. She was scowling indignantly at the man. "You said Jack never wanted to see me again! That he _hated_ me!"

"That was a lie!" Jack spouted in anger. Vlad placed a finger on the trigger, his eyes widening just a bit. Danny frowned. This Vlad didn't know how to fight. He lacked that clean battle composure. But then again, Jack Fenton was a half-ghost in this reality, so he didn't find it that weird. He was also sure his father could defend himself against a completely human-Vlad, armed or not.

"It was to _protect_ you, Maddie! You wanted to give him a _chance_, but how was I supposed to know he hadn't turned crazy with the radiation?!" Vlad snapped, and Danny had to give him props, since he came up with a pretty sound explanation right away, and he could see the lingering doubt on his mother's face.

Danny saw the fires of an argument rising, and knowing Vlad, that would be violent. So he lowered himself a little to take some cover behind the operating table – it was more like a solid block of pure metal – which protected him well-enough, in case Vlad decided to be trigger-happy, which he most likely would.

What was he supposed to do now?

"But how could you?! That wasn't your decision!" His mother's shrill voice rang in his ears.

"You wouldn't let go of that ridiculous idea-!"

"Ridiculous?!"

"You manipulated her to marry you, you snake!"

Danny watched with no amusement the bizarre scene that was the three of them arguing. His mother trying to get a decent answer, his father trying to drag her away from Vlad, and Vlad himself trying to save some face, lying through his teeth with a finesse that disappeared as his voice rose.

Daniel was just outside of their circle of howling, looking back and forth between Vlad and his mother with wide eyes. Was that real...? No one was paying attention to him, so there was no one to lie to. Danny bit his lower lip. He looked truly perturbed by the situation, and Danny would feel the same if he saw his parents yelling at each other like that. Last time the thought of divorce crossed his mind, it was a misunderstanding and it nearly drove him crazy!

However, there was a whirling sound, and before Danny could understand what was happening, Vlad was shooting nearly blindly at his father, and Daniel was hiding just beside him, seething.

"I hope you're happy." Daniel hissed without looking at him. Danny wasn't, and looked down when shame burned in his chest. It didn't look like Daniel would attack, he had his arms resting on his knees, looking at the wall like he wanted to burn a hole through it with his eyes, so Danny tried seeing what was happening with his parents. He raised his head to look, but ducked again when an ectoplasmic beam nearly hit his face.

Daniel moved, Danny flinched, expecting an attack, but he only looked around the corner of the table. At that moment, Vlad's misplaced shot – he didn't have such a great aim in this reality – hit his mother, harmlessly trapping her in ecto-goo on a panel of buttons and leaving her to curse at Vlad.

"Dad, what the hell!" Daniel barked from his spot.

"Watch your mouth, son!"

"Wha-?! You hit mom!"

"It was _just_ an accident! Calm yourself! You too, dear!"

His father shot another beam at Vlad, which he managed to dogde. "Don't call her that!"

Danny bit his lip when he heard Daniel nearly choking a word that sounded very obscene. He sat back down, hands resting on his head as he glared at the floor. "I really hope you're _fucking_ _happy_ with yourself...!" Danny heard him mutter. He wasn's sure how he felt about causing this much affliction to someone. It hurt, and not in a way he was used too.

There were few times Danny had to endure that kind of pain, and one of them was recent. That time, he got saved by Clockwork. He almost lost his family and friends, and that single moment where he realized he wouldn't make it in time were the most paiful few seconds of his entire life.

He had no doubt that _that_ was the kind of misery he was causing to Daniel, and even his own mother. "I'm sorry..." He didn't have anything else to say.

Daniel dropped his hands and looked at the ceiling. There was no reply. Neither Jack nor Vlad where paying any attention to them. Vlad too busy trying to kill the bigger man, while his father mostly defended himself, throwing in some wayward blasts with his horrible aim.

However, Danny's bad luck seemed to be taking a break when someone's – Danny didn't know who's – indirect blast hit the panel beside the portal. Danny gasped when sirens blared and red light blinked the lab with its hue.

Danny peeked from his corner as the portal doors opened. "...The portal...!" There was the chance... The lights and sirens were red and blaring, the portal wouldn't stay open forever. Actually, it would most likely explode and close. Danny would be stuck there. No Jazz, no Sam, no Tucker, and with parents who didn't even know him.

What should he do...? Did he had any other choice at this point?

He _had_ to go...

His mother was stuck, and Vlad was busy, so Danny moved, about to fly towards the green light. He just had enough time to leave his hiding spot before he was tackled from behind. "You stay right there, you bastard...!"

His face was pressed against the cold tiled ground, someone holding both of his arms. Danny grimaced, more in pain over what he was forcing himself to do. "Let go of me, Daniel!"

"No...!"

Danny turned intangible and moved out of his grasp- "Wait, what?!" He couldn't move... His whole body was tingling uncomfortably and almost painfully, specially his spine and chest, and he couldn't turn intangible! "What did you do?!"

Danny craned his neck to look at Daniel. He wasn't smirking or anything, but somehow he still looked smug. His eyes were shimmering blue, but Danny had no time to wonder what that meant. "Funny what a little bit of electricity can do to a ghost, no...?" He growled, then he looked away, back at the spat between the adults.

Right then, Daniel gasped and moved away, as a green ecto-blast flew right past them.

"Just go, Davey!" His father yelled from his position, a green shield deflecting Vlad's increasingly frustrated shots.

"It's '_Danny_'!" He corrected, but moved anyway. He was a bit sluggish and his powers still felt a bit out of sync with his will, but he could _fly._

He could hear his father's enthusiastic bark of 'It's still dumb!' but Danny knew he was overjoyed with giving Danny a chance. However, he could also hear his mother's despairing 'No!' as the world changed from red to green.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply. His mother... that pain in her voice... He had no time to grieve over the desperation in his mother's protest, as he was violently kicked and catapulted towards the nearest floating island. His face scraped against the rock as he flipped at least twice before stopping.

"Whoa..." Danny panted. The sting on his upper back was biting him like crazy. "_That_ was a kick..." It actually hurt more than Vlad's hits...!

He whirled around, seeing the portal disappearing just as a ghost landed on his feet, a few feet away from him, crouching to ease the landing, but sharp and quick in a way Danny never managed to be.

Danny stood up and eased himself into a defensive stance. His back still hurt, even more with that kick... "So you do have a ghost-form..."

The resemblance was uncanny.

While his father looked almost exactly like Vlad's vampiric form, Daniel had the same white hair and slightly darker skin. His red eyes were brazen with unrestrained anger, a glare that made Danny shiver at the resemblance to a certain ghost of a certain alternate future.

The white and black HAZMAT suit must have been his mother's idea because he wore almost the same as Danny's. The only differences between them where the triangular collar instead of round like his own, and the fact that he wore an open lab coat just like his mother before, now switched to black, and had no logo on his chest like Danny.

Daniel cracked his white gloved knuckles, scowling at Danny. "Last chance." He stated simply. Danny saw that he had fangs like Vlad.

Last chance to give up, huh...? Danny frowned.

He couldn't.

Not when he was so close. A few hours of flying would land him directly in front of Clockwork's Tower. After all the turmoil of forcing himself to take the chance, to go through the portal, he had to do this.

He would regret this whole adventure forever, and remember it as a hellish experience he would never repeat, but... he wouldn't back away now.

Both of his parents were so full of regrets and heartbreak, and Jazz didn't even exist. Danny wanted his life back, and felt selfish for it, but he couldn't say it was entirely about him alone. So Danny shook his head and readied himself for the fight.

Daniel's scowl deepened. "...I never actually killed anyone before..." He mumbled. Danny didn't really have an actual heart in this form, but something in his chest clenched. Fighting with that pain wouldn't be easy...

Daniel idly adjusted his stance, something a bit taller and distinctly more relaxed than Danny. "First time for everything, wouldn't you say?" His tone was apathetic, and Danny pressed his lips together.

_'I hope it won't come to that, for neither of us...' _Somehow, he didn't see another way out...

* * *

**A/N: EDIT: _So, a lot of changes here, if you're rereading. Man, I can't believe I was that careless...! I feel horrible. I added so many feelings here, and I hope it's up to par with the last two chapters. I also fixed a lot of grammar mistakes on the last two, fixed some typos, changed a few things here and there and added some things there too. But I wouldn't consider worthy of a reread. It's not that different, just a bit refined. :D _**

**Anyway, not exactly a cliffhanger, but I would say 'close enough'. Can you guess what happens now? Because I'm pretty sure you might be wrong! ;)**

**I hope it was interesting enough. If you got bored at any given point, please tell me, so I can see what I'm doing wrong. Since I'm writing a novel, I need to know that kind of stuff! D: **

**I gave the first draft of my first chapter to a friend, and apparently, he found a lot of things I needed to improve. That reminded me that I still have a long way to go, and that I needed to slow down. So I'll keep writing fics, because you learn to write by writing. **

**On the topic of novel, how is my OC doing? I mean, I need solid characters, that are interesting to read, so it's really important that I know about that. Did I paint a decent picture? Something solid that you can recognize and differentiate? That doesn't look out of place or irregular, like many OCs out there? And what about Danny? Is he still in character? That's also important. **

**Anyway, hope you liked it. I'll try to update faster next time, since it also includes the factor of training and practice now. Thank you so much for reading, and thank you so, _so_ much for favoriting, following and reviewing! **

**See you guys next update! o/ **


	4. Guilt & Grief

**A/N: Oh? What is this? An update? After only three weeks?! Yaaah, I'm impressed too! I don't have much to say here, I mean, early update, so I had no problems whatsoever. **

**_However_, I've been thinking. About reviews, do you guys mind that I don't answer? I mean, if it's just a normal review, I don't have much to say besides thanking you awkwardly several times, and I can't answer most questions because that would be spoiler and I don't wanna send a PM just to say that I can't answer the question, sooo... I don't really like sending PMs around just to thank people when I can just as easily thank everyone who reviewed, and even who didn't, right here. I hope no one was offended by my lack of response... D: I really thank you guys!**

**Also, I'm really sorry about what I did last chapter. I wrote without remembering the general _vibe_ of this fic and messed up. But I already fixed it. Or tried to.**

**By the way, I noticed a trend of avoiding OC fics around here. Most people do, even I do sometimes, but that's because we're all used to OC girls with generic personalities, clunky exposition, and OC POVs that we're _so_ not ready for. Still, I'm pretty sure most people pass right by my fic when they see the _OC_ on the character list (I almost feel tempted to take it off, but that would be lying, no? I'm too honest for my own good...) The only way to convince them to give it a try is by the number of reviews, because that's logic, more reviews = better fics (MOST OF THE TIME **–** I've seen quite a few exceptions...).**** I totally understand their feelings when they pass, but a chance would be nice...**

**Anyway, about this chapter, I have to say, I rarely write fights scenes. I only read a 'how-to' guide and did my best, but eh... If you think 'Mary-Sue' or anything like that because of the way the fight happens, remember that I have a perfectly LOGICAL reason why things happen like this. My intelligence on Danny _might_ look a _bit_ off to a few of you, but I did my best to keep things 'canon'. :/ The fight seems a bit short too, but then again, real fights don't last that long...**

**Forgive grammar mistakes and all of that. **

* * *

_**Mistakes &amp; Consequences **_

**Chapter 04**

**Guilt &amp; Grief**

* * *

There were very few times Danny felt this nervous before a fight. He knew most of his enemies at this point. He knew what they were capable of, he knew most of their moves and lines, and he knew if and how could beat them. In fact, Vlad was the only one he had to struggle with – since his future-self didn't count, in a way.

However, this wasn't like that. He had nothing to think about but his own survival at the moment, and he didn't feel confident enough for witty banter.

In fact, witty banter felt _wrong_ at the moment.

Daniel didn't start attacking from a distance like his usual enemies. His first move was to _walk_. Yeah... Walk towards him... He was glaring the whole way, and Danny was so put off by the sudden strangeness that he took a step back.

For some reason, this distinct lack of aggressive movements scared him a lot more. When Daniel was too close for his liking, Danny acted on instinct and moved to punch, but that punch was held by a palm, then a knee was driven against his stomach painfully, followed by a punch that made him stagger back a few steps. All of that in what could have been less than _two_ _seconds_.

_'That was... fast... too fast!' _He felt the bitter taste of ectoplasm and his eyes widened as he crouched to dodge the incoming kick that would have hit his head. _'He's not fighting like a ghost... He's fighting like a human!' _

Danny stretched his arm and shot an ecto-blast before he could take another hit, but Daniel simply shimmed out of the way – like it was easy! - and grabbed his wrist, pulling him and delivering an uppercut with an ecto-energy infused fist that sent him upwards with a burning pain spreading through his jaw and neck.

In mid air, Danny gritted his teeth when he saw the incoming kick and applied the same tactic, grabbing his ankle, stopping its momentum with difficulty. Daniel's eyes widened in surprise and he shot a red ecto-blast before Danny could figure out what to do with this move. Again in _very_ few seconds.

They both fell on the ground, Daniel being the only one falling gracefully on his feet.

"A quick learner, eh?" Daniel commented.

"...You _really_ know how to fight, don't you...?" Danny grunted, getting up again. _Technique_. That's what he had. He knew _how_ to fight, but also knew how to be violent in a way that neither his mother nor Valerie were. So hand-to-hand with Daniel is a bad idea...

"I just enjoy it." He merely shrugged. 'Enjoys it', that alone was disturbing enough. Daniel took a few steps to the side, circling him like a shark as Danny tried to think of a good strategy.

Should he try duplicating? He wasn't good at that yet, he would be weakening himself against an opponent who may or may not be able to fight multiple enemies. There were no second chances here. Little room for error. He had to pick the right moves. There was no one around to help him in the Ghost Zone.

Danny then jumped and flew up to attack from a distance, trying to shoot and weaken his opponent. Daniel dodged only a few before he raised both arms and created a solid and transparent shield. At this rate, he would have to rely on his _Ghostly Wail_, and _that_ would leave him completely vulnerable.

And if the Wail didn't take Daniel down long enough... Well, _he_ would be history.

Danny had stopped attacking, and Daniel lowered his arms, the shield disappearing, then he crouched and flew towards him at a speed that was certainly faster than Danny's own 114 miles per hour – last he checked – and Danny dodged with a gasp, letting Daniel pass so he could attack with an ecto-blast, but almost like predicting it, Daniel created a circular shield _ahead_ of him and flipped around, using the shield as a platform and pushing himself towards Danny again, much faster than he expected with the move he just pulled, giving Danny a hard punch and then a kick that quickly sent him flying into another floating island, followed by an ecto-blast with both hands that gave him even more momentum to hit the floating rock.

He hit the ground and flipped a few times before stopping himself with his hand, grappling the rocky ground to slow down, leaving a dirty cloud to block his vision._ 'Why can't he fight like a normal ghost?!' _Up close he was too fast for Danny to keep up, but he didn't let Danny gain enough distance to attack, either!

Danny waved a hand to clear the dirt cloud, but when he heard the sound of ecto-energy, he rolled in a random direction to dodge on instinct as a fist hit the ground where he was just a second before, creating a sizable crater. He quickly looked around to orient himself, which was lucky when otherwise he would have gotten another nasty bruise on his face if he hadn't tilted his upper body back to dodge.

This time, Danny furrowed his brows in concentration, grabbing Daniel's wrist, adjusting his own stance, and this time, successfully pulling Daniel off balance and using his other hand to land an ecto-energy infused hit on the jaw as quickly as he could. Danny was surprised with his own speed.

The hit was hard enough to make Daniel spin away from him, but he surprised Danny again by using the momentum to give a full spin and bring back a long kick that hit his cheek and made him feel like it hurt a lot more than the punch Danny just managed to give.

Danny felt his feet leave the ground and he rolled on the ground. Daniel then hesitated, as if stopping himself from moving, and it only took Danny that time to notice the pain wreaking havoc around his body as he forced himself to stand up. Why did it hurt so much?! Daniel didn't hit him that many times!

Vlad was the only one who managed to hurt him this much, and even then it took much more than _this_! While all the other ghosts either didn't hit this hard or preferred to use ecto-energy in a way. Being forcefully thrown against a building – or other solid objects – didn't hurt all that much to be honest.

But still _why_?

There was no time to think, though, as Daniel sorted whatever mental dilemma he had and steeled himself. His eyes narrowed and turned blue just like his aura. He raised a hand towards him, pointing with two fingers, as if holding a pretend-gun.

Danny could sense an attack coming and created a shield hastily, right as blue energy crackled and formed electricity, shooting towards him with an incredibly high speed. Danny's eyes widened, and he braced himself as the lightning struck the shield with a loud impact, before disappearing just as his shield broke like glass, the force pushing him back.

Something must have gone through because he felt like something did hit him. Danny staggered back and pushed a hand against his chest. It was buzzing, he could even hear it, and it _hurt_! He was suddenly dizzy, vision blurring, and it was difficult to move... "Whoa..." He couldn't help but be amazed, placing a hand on his head to try and gain some form of mental balance.

His legs felt weak and he had to settle with one knee on the ground. He couldn't stand right away, even with his mind telling him he _shouldn't_ stay still when he had an enemy trying to kill him right in front of him.

However, when looking up, Daniel wasn't attacking. He was rubbing his fingers together as if looking for the left-overs of his previous attack.

"You learn quickly, but you're still not powerful enough..." Daniel was giving him a calculating look. "You know, the part that keeps a ghost 'alive' is their _core_. Like a heart." He said. Danny couldn't hear any particular emotion.

Danny blinked at his words. The world finally looking steady. What was he on about?

"That core runs on a certain... let's say, _voltage_. In layman's terms, it's what keeps their bodies at the right temperature... And if I were to hit them with just the right amount of power," He raised the same hand, again pointing at Danny like a gun. "it could seriously destabilize their core _for good_, their temperature would increase to a balance with the ambient, and they would _melt_... Dead, again."

Suddenly, that hand-gun gesture was much more frightening. Danny's eyes widened as he adjusted his hand, readying to create a shield in case Daniel shot another bolt.

Being hit head on would mean _death_, wouldn't? Being hit by just a fraction was enough to leave him dizzy and confused. He didn't want to feel the _full effects _that seemed to include _melting_.

Daniel lowered his hand just a bit, looking at the ground. "I kept trying to find ways to do this... Should I just beat you until you change back and then stab you?" He raised his other hand where he created a sharp red dagger out of solid ectoplasm, much like the shield, and just like Vlad could do. "It would be easy, and final... Or... should I just destabilize you and leave you to die...? I wouldn't have to watch..."

Was he saying he didn't want to kill him? Danny finally stood on his two feet, wobbling back just a bit before regaining balance again. The pain in his chest was disappearing and nothing was buzzing anymore.

One lethal shot away, and Danny couldn't risk death just yet. Not when he still had one _last move_ to pull.

Now _this_... would be his last chance. It felt like he's had many 'last chances' that day... "We'll see about that..." Taking deep breaths, Danny drew all power he had left.

Daniel blinked lazily, then frowned in suspicion. He was already aware that this was an attack. He flipped the dagger on his hand so it was facing away and raised the other hand, energy crackling in the air.

Danny took one last deep breath and Wailed as loud as he could. He only saw Daniel's shocked look before he closed his eyes to focus.

He kept the Wail going for nearly a minute, feeling like everything was shaking and trembling, until he finally felt warm again, back to human, and then until he had no energy left to even stand. It ended as he fell on his knees in exhaustion, taking deep breaths.

Even _that_ required too much energy, so he let himself hit the ground.

He didn't know what happened or if Daniel was okay at this point. But this was it. He had no more strength left. Danny remembered clearly. The last time he used _this_ much power was against his evil future-self. He guessed his will to survive was just as strong as his wish to protect his family and friends... Should he be happy with that?

_'Stay down, stay down, stay down...!' _In the midst of his pleading and tired thoughts, he heard a groan.

Danny blinked rapidly, trying to get a clear image out of the blurry mess in front of him. It adjusted slowly and he finally saw the last thing he wanted to see.

The rest of the island beyond was a mess, cracked and with pieces of rubble that broke apart and where now lazily floating away. But that was just behind the form on the ground.

Danny had barely seen when Daniel was forced to change back to human, but there he was, still _conscious_, using his forearm for support and slowly attempting to stand up. He'd planted the dagger on the ground to hold his position... It disappeared when he let go of it. He was breathing heavily, hair and clothes a mess, and shaking like Danny, but was still _recovering_.

He had a slim line of blood running down his mouth and Danny didn't know if that was some internal damage caused by the Wail, or if he just bit himself too hard.

Danny slowly considered his options. In human form, he could float _through_ the island and fall. In this state, Daniel shouldn't be able to go anywhere for a while. But neither could Danny. Would he even fall? Or just float there, unable to fly anywhere? Sooner or later they would recover and end up fighting anyway, and Daniel would finish him off long before he could recuperate enough energy for another Ghostly Wail – which would be much weaker if he tried.

What now...?

Danny tried to stand, supporting himself with his forearm. Daniel was already sitting on his knees, hands on the ground for support and head down, breathing becoming steady as the seconds passed.

Danny rubbed his hand on his face, feeling the sticky wetness of blood mixing with dirt.

"Wow..." He heard Daniel say. "I... I uh... didn't think you had something... like _this_ up your sleeve... _I don't even know what that was..._" His voice sounded ragged, with his eyes wide. Definitely surprised, but with a hint of amusement. With a hand on his knee, he forced himself up, staggering and almost falling again, but stayed up. "I take it back... You _are_ powerful after all..."

Danny finally managed to find the strength to sit on his knees, hands on the ground for support, but other than that... he was completely weakened to do anything else. His human form feeling the effects of the beating acutely, and it was debilitating. He could only shiver as he felt the natural coldness of the Ghost Zone.

He heard slow and uneven steps coming closer.

"...I lost..." Danny mumbled. He's always seen himself as unlucky in a way. Figures that he would somehow bring his own demise by being _stupid_.

Still beats getting his own family and friends killed and turning evil...

Once he heard someone right in front of him, he raised his head. All that anger Daniel had before was gone, giving way to sadness and reluctance. Danny raised a tired eyebrow at that. "Still want to kill me...?"

Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "I never _wanted_ to kill you..." He took a deep breath and suddenly a black ring appeared, as he changed back to ghost.

_'Another similarity with Vlad...'_ Danny noted dully.

Daniel raised a hand with a gun-like gesture, pointing it right under Danny's chin. His eyes turned electric blue. He didn't do anything for a few seconds and for those seconds, it was just deep _silence_. What was he waiting for? Was he waiting for Danny to say something? To promise he wouldn't change the past and leave things as they are?

For an excuse to let him go?

Honestly, Danny didn't want to lie so he could cling to life. It's not like he saw it as _beneath_ him, but... even if he didn't consider that Daniel could see through it, it sounded... pathetic, lame in a way that would leave a bad taste on his mouth. Why was he even here, by the way...? He forgot... He was just really tired, now that he thought about it... "Isn't there a way for you to do this... like, less painful? And not involving _melting_?"

Daniel frowned as he tried to hide his disbelief, but didn't quite manage to do that. After a second, he scoffed quietly and took a step back, now pointing at his head. "You wouldn't _melt_ as a human... and this will _probably_ be quick, but I can't guarantee the 'less painful' part..."

"...Good enough, I guess..."

If Danny had to say something they had in common right then, it would be _unwillingness_. Resignation.

Daniel turned his head away, and Danny closed his eyes. He heard the crackle of electricity so close that his ears buzzed. An infinitely torturous second passed as Danny waited for the inevita-

"_Time Out."_

There was a sudden weight on his neck, like it just materialized there, then Danny opened his eyes and gasped.

The first thing that ran through his mind was about how electricity, when frozen in time, looked _solid_, like ice, but glowing so bright you couldn't _see_ the actual ice...

Frozen in time... Danny looked behind and around him. _'__Clockwork Tower!__'_ "How... Clockwork! You-"

"Saved you, yes." The ancient ghost looked just as ancient in that moment. "You completely forgot why you were even there, didn't you?"

Danny was still gaping.

"It's amazing what people _forget_ when their lives are about to end." Clockwork said as he changed into a small child. "You fought bravely. However, this boy, with the same conditions as you, had more _time_, and a greater _reason_ to fight." He said soberly as he motioned to Daniel with his staff.

Danny looked back, tilting his eyebrows upward in alarm. "So... Things will stay as they are...?!" He couldn't help but feel a tinge of panic. He lost, and even Clockwork thought Daniel had better reasons to fight. Danny looked down at the ground. Would he just... cease to exist now...?

"No."

"...What?" Danny looked back, managing to voice his complete disbelief.

Clockwork turned away from him, facing the sizable monitor in the room. "The _Time-Line _was never supposed to take that particular turn. It generally has to remain the way it was." He explained as he looked pointedly at Danny. "The way it _is_."

The image in the monitor showed the quarantine, Vlad, Sam and Tucker, all still sick with ecto-acne, if not worse than when he left. Danny bit his lower lip in concern for his friends. That's why he went back in time in the first place... He still had _no_ answer or solution to save them!

"Your friends need to be cured in the present, _not_ _the past_." The image fizzled with static before it changed to his parents and Vlad in college. "I can re-set time back to the way it was just before you meddled, but _that's it._"

A green RE-SET blinked on the screen, followed by the original set of events that Danny watched with reluctant dread.

"_Jack, did you remember to fill the filtrator with ecto-purifier?"_ His mother's younger-self asked.

"_On it, baby!" _His father beamed, and then picked a can of _Diet Cola_ while grinning at his mother.

Danny stared and blinked once, twice. He felt an eye twitch. A can of SODA?! "...All of _this_, because of _that_?!" His father has done many, many _dumb_ things. Many of which put _Danny_ in a precarious situation – _namely an ON button on the inside of the portal_ – but Danny has never felt such a strong need to face-palm _this_ hard. Which he did, "Ouch!" causing an even greater surge of pain on his eye. "Right... I got my butt kicked..."

But that must be the problem. Maybe if he told his mother, she would figure out a way to cure Sam and Tucker! "That's it..." He turned to Clockwork, who had that solemn look on his face, and Danny looked back at Daniel.

"But..." He fiddled with the medallion he had and walked back towards him. He really looked like he didn't want to do this... It looked like pain, with as much regret as Danny himself felt. What was he feeling with this...? "What about-"

"That is not _your_ choice to make." Clockwork said, making Danny turn to look at him. "Do _not_ do such a thing again." He pushed a button on his staff and the world around Danny faded into static. Dark changed to light, he blinked and saw the Fenton Works, warped and closed because of the quarantine his parents arranged.

Danny blinked again. He was on a rooftop across the street. It was afternoon. The birds were chirping.

It took him several seconds of looking at everything and nothing at the same time before he realized what happened. Everything was back to _normal_. His parents are Jack and Maddie Fenton, married, and he had a sister named Jazz, and two best friends, Sam and Tucker. Vlad is a half-ghost, a billionaire obsessed with his mother, who had _no_ kids.

Back to normal...

Danny sighed and sat down with his back to the warped building, exhaling tiredly. It felt... _relieving_.

The burden of choice was no longer weighting him down. He won, Clockwork fixed everything. But on the other hand, the victory felt _empty_. Petty and undeserving. He didn't win the fight, but it never even mattered. He could have died_,_ but it wouldn't have _happened_. It wasn't supposed to. It felt just as wrong as _cheating_, and he didn't like it.

_"That is not your choice to make."_

Danny looked up at the sky, feeling the gnawing regret in his gut. It made him _sick_. The choice burdened him, but it was never his choice anyway. It was never _their_ choice. It was like senselessly giving life and then taking it away. What was Clockwork thinki-wait... In the lab, Daniel had told him to accept the consequences of what he did, instead of blaming others.

What he did was _inexcusable_.

That wasn't Vlad's fault, he went to Clockwork on his own. He changed things, created a time-line just to have it _destroyed_ later. It wasn't Clockwork's fault, either. Because he insisted even when Clockwork _warned_ him. Danny nodded to himself, closing his eyes tiredly, dragging his knees closer to his body in an attempt to somehow comfort himself. "...It's _my_ fault, and I'll learn to live with it... and... I won't do this again, _ever_..."

* * *

"_Live, Vladdie! LIVE! Oh, and you too..." _

"_...You know what this means for us...?"_

"_...No c-cheerleaders...?"_

"_...No 15th b-birthday party... When you see Danny-" _To Danny, Sam's voice sounded breathless, but he was _so_ glad his friends were okay, as in, _alive_. He had plenty of time left. He wasn't sure how long he's been gone, but he was sure Clockwork gave him enough time to do what he had to do.

He walked down the stairs of the lab and inside the huge plastic tent, and he noticed right away when his downcast look and beat-up face alarmed Vlad, even with his father pounding on his chest like that would make him feel better somehow. Danny had walked in with his eyes glued to the ground and back hunched, it was obvious he'd been in a pretty nasty fight.

A fight that he clearly _lost_.

Honestly, just looking at Vlad drove the guilt deeper, like a knife slowly sinking into his stomach.

"...Danny?" Sam called weakly from her bed.

"Danny!" His mother walked closer, gave _one_ _look_ at his face and pushed him out of the tent. "What are you doing in here with those wounds and no protective gear?! And where did you even _get_ those?! How did you get hurt?! And you could get infected with-"

It was so good to hear her worrying about him again, instead of accusing and pointing dangerous ecto-weapons at him...

Danny sighed, raising his hand to calm her down. "Don't worry, I just, uh... fell. Face first..." He shrugged. He had no energy to find a decent lie, but she seemed to accept it, though. He rolled his eye. He'd forgotten how easy it was to lie to his mother. "Those ecto-impurities you couldn't identify, would they be consistent with _Diet Cola_?" He nearly hissed the words.

He would never drink Diet Cola again.

"Don't be silly!" She chuckled. "Why would they-"

"Could you check?"

His mother blinked in clear confusion. "Uh, of course. But I'm sure it couldn't-"

Danny yawned. He was too exhausted to argue. "There are some benefits to being your son. I'm pretty sure it's a good hunch." He managed to force a smile as his mother blinked again. "Now I gotta wash up, and... sleep, too..." He walked off with another yawn. His mother was capable, and he was 100% sure she would create a remedy to cure everyone. But he _needed_ to lay down.

She looked at him with worry all the way up the stairs, but he ignored it.

For now...

He stopped for a second of consideration and then made a beeline for the bathroom upstairs, opening and closing the door loudly, and then finally seeing himself in the mirror. He looked _horrible_. No wonder everything hurt. His clothes were dirty and his hair was a mess... while the beat-down left its marks on his face – he could still taste the blood – the reddened skin around his left eye was starting to darken, and it felt like he could barely move his jaw without feeling pain. He could have lost a tooth for all he knew.

He should be healing by now. He didn't know exactly _why_ he wasn't, but he was sure it had something to do with Daniel's electric powers. He said it could affect his _core_.

Even when everything was back to _normal_, the painful marks were still there.

Danny frowned lightly. He didn't know much about this 'core' thing, apart from what Daniel had told him, but he guessed his mother had an idea. He would have to read her research papers some day... He had no idea it could be important to anything other than destroying ghosts, but maybe there was something helpful in there and why was he even thinking about that...?

He washed the left-over blood off his face and took the dirty shirt off. He stared at the dark marks, his hands gripping the sink before he lowered his head. "Damn it..."

* * *

Once washed and back to his room, he picked another set of clothes from his dresser – PJs, because he would sleep until he felt better – and fell with his back on the bed. He laid there for what felt like an hour, too tired to think or move, which was annoying because he forgot the door open...

There was a knock on the open door. "Hey, man." He heard Tucker say. He looked and saw Sam with him, both still in their hospital garbs.

"Our clothes had to be 'clinically washed' or something, so we still have to wear _these_ for now." Sam said, waving at her plain blue-green shirt and pants in disdain – clearly the lack of black displeased her – then walking in and sitting on the bed.

"And Vlad couldn't talk his way out of fudge-time with your dad." Tucker snickered as he sat too. He was the first to state the issue after a few seconds of silence. "Dude, you look horrible."

"Thanks." It came out as a sarcastic mumble.

"Seriously, Danny," Sam started, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Which ghost did this? I don't remember the last time one of the usual ghosts messed you up like this." By usual, she meant one of the regular ghosts – those who _always_ came back after a week or so.

"It wasn't one of the usual." Danny explained, covering his eyes with his arm. His face felt warm... His arm was cold enough to appease that discomfort.

"Well?" Sam drawled, probing him to continue.

"What happened?" Tucker asked when he didn't answer immediately.

Danny sighed. He didn't want to talk about it. In fact, he felt humiliated and ashamed. Humiliated because he was beaten and then saved, _again_, and ashamed because of _what_ he did. It was something he didn't want to share, something he did _wrong _and wanted to somehow undo.

Inexcusable...

"Nothing to worry about. It's over now." He didn't need to look to know that Tucker and Sam exchanged skeptical glances.

"Danny." Sam started with that mild warning tone.

"I don't wanna _talk_ about it, okay?"

"What you don't want to talk about?" A feminine voice came from the door.

"Oh, no..." Danny looked and saw his sister. It was good and relieving to see her after the small period of time where she_ didn't exist_. He propped himself up with his elbows. "It's nothing to worry about, Jazz."

"Ah, I don't think so." She said, walking closer. Danny groaned and laid back down, again hiding his eyes with his arm. She moved his limp limb out of the way, and her eyes widened. "What happened? Was it a ghost?" She sounded alarmed.

"We don't know." Tucker chimed in. "He won't tell us."

"It's nothing...!" Danny insisted.

Jazz tilted her head, tapping her chin. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't sound so dejected. Clearly _something_ happened."

"Stop _analyzing_ me..." He mumbled.

Sam stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, and how long ago was _that_?" She pointed at his now black eye. "Your wounds always heal without leaving a mark."

"Looks nasty, man. Someone clocked you good..."

"Why don't you go look for your PDA...?"

"Good idea." Even after saying that, Tucker didn't move from his spot.

Sam turned to Jazz. "It couldn't have been Vlad, right? He was here the whole time."

"Yeah, he was."

Then Tucker stood up. "But what if-"

"It doesn't matter!" Danny sat up when he had enough. "Who did this is already gone."

Sam turned away from him, rolling her eyes before she looked at him again. "But what if they come back-?"

"I mean he's gone _gone_, Sam." With that, he laid back down. "Just leave it be. I want some time alone..." A headache was forming, so he tried rubbing his face and head to ease it... Some silence would be appreciated.

Sam's eyes widened while Tucker stared and gaped.

"...Danny..." Jazz muttered worryingly.

"Some time _alone_." Danny repeated, making the message clear.

Everyone looked at each other quietly. Tucker was the first to nod and break the silence. "Alright, man. We'll see you tomorrow..." Tucker understood he _really_ didn't want to talk and awkwardly walked out, looking between Sam and him. Danny mentally thanked him for respecting his wishes. While Sam had her arms crossed and didn't look very happy.

"Take care, Danny." Sam said, reluctantly walking out as well. He could _hear_ the hurt as well as he could hear her light steps. She gave him one last dubious look, then glanced at Jazz, then back at him before leaving with an annoyed sigh. Jazz stayed for a few more seconds.

"Later, Jazz." Danny droned when he noticed she wasn't moving.

He heard her sighing and then walking out. She grabbed the door handled and pulled it along. "I'm here if you need to talk, alright, Danny...?" Her tone was soft, but it only prompted Danny to sigh again.

"Yeah, yeah... I get it..."

Jazz's eyebrows tilted upward and she shook her head, closing the door and leaving him alone with his thoughts. Danny could only curse and stare at the ceiling.

* * *

**A/N: ...Do you see a 'Complete' marked on this fic? No? Good, because it's not over, baby! **

**Well, it could be, but... closure, right? It's not quite right yet. This would suck as an ending! But things are finally back to normal! And Jazz is here! I love Jazz. I can only hope the feels in this chapter were accurate...**

**Anyway, I just want to say that everything happened for a reason. Even Daniel's ghost form looks the way it does for a reason, and that reason is mostly 'canon deduction' and not because I think it's cool (Except the lab coat. It's both cool _and_ my choice)**

**Jack and Vlad had the accident from the same portal, and yet, the only things they have in common is the vampiric look. Jack doesn't even have fangs or red eyes! But his ecto-energy at the beginning of the episode was green like Danny's (but changed to pink later in the episode. I say that was the producers messing things up for everyone, and there's this one time Vlad used green energy! Psh!) and the ring to change between human and ghost was also white for Jack. Anyway, same accident, different ecto-energy and ring color, and no fangs. Why is that? DNA, obviously. **

**While that portal was faulty, with Cola mixed in the middle, the other portal was perfect for both Danny and Daniel, so they have similar looks, but ecto-energy, ring and the presence of fangs are different because of their DNA. I also could have used pink ecto-energy, but I blamed that on the ecto-impurity. It's also the reason why Danny gets stronger so quickly in the series compared to Vlad, who doesn't even have a ghost sense or a distinct core-power. But with that logic, Daniel has the same potential for quick progress. He's stronger than Danny for a reason, not only because of the time difference, with him being older and all, but also because of backstory, which is still a mystery. I also didn't want to give him ice powers like Danny, and definitely not fire powers, because I like lightning better. Reminds me of Azula.**

**Well, I hope that explained things. I predict next chapter will be a bit shorter (this one is already a bit shorter than the others), but it'll come earlier to make up for it. **

**Important question: Is anyone _ready_ for OC POV yet? I really need to know! I _can_ continue if you're not interested enough yet, but I would rather know before writing the next chapter.**

**I hope the story is good enough so far, and I hope you guys are enjoying it. I thank everyone who reviewed, faved and followed so much! See you soon! o/ **


	5. Variables

**A/N: Once upon a time, I told a reviewer that I was going to upload the next chapter in a _week_, because I was excited to write and I already knew what I was supposed to write. **

**However, the exams to get into college in my country – kinda like the SATs – were approaching too quickly. I couldn't focus on writing, just as I couldn't focus on studying. Those were horrible months of conflict with myself, because I wanted to do both, but ended up doing neither... Needless to say, I didn't pass, but no one can really pass on their first try, so I don't feel like I lost _too_ much. It wasn't even THAT hard like many people say. I even got a lot of things right despite the fact that I barely even touched the books. Eh, yay me. But then again, Brazil is not exactly a model of intelligence out there, sooo... *snicker***

**Anyway, I finally got back into the groove of writing! It just... kinda happened! Not sure how! It just did. Also, look at the picture! It's so cute, I can't believe I drew that! Both of them look adorable! I wonder who got Daniel's look correctly, heh. I'll keep that one until I draw a better pic, more similar to the show's style.**

**By the way, since the last chapter, I realized that I _do_ have a lot of attention on this fic! It's an OC fic, for god's sake! I'm doing a lot better than most people! Geez, what was I complaining about?! I guess I spoiled myself with MKB... Ah, awkward. I'm still SO thankful to everyone who took the time to read this story! :,D**

**So, the usual goes. Grammar on the first few hours after update might have lots of mistakes, like a beta version of a game. They say "Eh, we'll fix it later, after we use our fans as testers. Profit!"**

**Something important, now. Anyone tried to map the canon DP time-line? I did, and man, what a mess! According to that, by the end of the third season, Danny would be a Senior, nearing 17 years old! That because we don't know when his birthday is, so it's difficult to say if he would actually be 17. I'm not going into detail over it here. That can be found at the Author Note after the chapter, 'cause I'm going to use it! **

**Oh, and for the first time, we have _multiple_ POVs! Changing POV always gets me stuck, it seems, so I'll try to avoid it...**

* * *

_**Mistakes &amp; Consequences**_

**Chapter 05**

**Variables **

* * *

It just took him a second to realize that something had changed.

The ground was no longer rocky and uneven and he could no longer hear the deathly hum of the Ghost zone. Instead, he could hear the ticking of _clocks_.

His eyes snapped open. There was no one in front of him, and Daniel only stared at the empty space ahead in silence. The numerous ticking clocks around only gave him a feeling of foreboding, each second louder than the last, like his time was running out, one tick at a time. _'What did I do wrong...?' _He lowered his hand, the electric energy dying down until it was gone.

"I believe you understand what is happening?" A deep voice asked, and he looked up hesitantly to see an aging blue ghost, with the same clock thematic all over, which sprung a simple conclusion in his head.

"The _'Ghost of Time'_, I presume?" He couldn't keep the bitterness from showing.

"Correct." The ghost's form suddenly changed from an old man to a child, but Daniel couldn't find the strength to demonstrate surprise or to question it. "My name is Clockwork." At least he introduced himself, because he wasn't going to ask.

His shoulders dropped as he tiredly looked at the ghost in silence. He had nothing_ to say._ The kid, Danny, was gone, and now he was with the Ghost of Time in front of him, who was frowning. Why would he assume that he's won something? "Was there _ever_ a chance to do anything?"

Clockwork tapped his staff in thought, tilting his head a bit. "You mean, for things to remain as they were? No."

"'Were'? As in, not anymore...?" His eyes widened, and he focused on the ghost's face. No expression, no body-language cues... nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Reading ghosts was always a pain, so he learned to rely on sound. As a normal human, that would be nearly impossible, but with enhanced hearing, their tone and pitch alone were enough to give away their thoughts.

This ghost hasn't sputtered a single lie, or emotion, since this conversation began. It was like talking to a robot, from his perspective at least.

"I already re-set the timeline to before Danny meddled. Things are as they should be now."

'Re-set'? To what Danny would have labeled as the 'original course of events'? His parents never marrying... and-? Daniel narrowed his eyes at Clockwork and straightened himself, clenching his fists and taking deep breaths. It didn't work, the fury was rising. "If so... then _why_ let him meddle in the first place?!"

Clockwork raised an eyebrow - the first sign of any emotion Daniel had seen - at his sudden change of tone. "You do realize that you _own_ your very existence to him, don't you?"

Daniel scoffed bitterly. "If I didn't exist, I wouldn't _care_ about that, now would I? And neither would anyone else!" He crossed his arms and looked away, an attempt to stop himself from looking hostile despite his increasing inner aggressiveness. He needed to punch something.

"Then why do you care _now_, Daniel?" He sounded like his damn psychologist...! The same tone...!

"Because now I _do_ exist! So the damage's already done!" It was difficult to not raise his voice and flail his arms. He was itching to attack, to defend against this turn of events, to make yet another ghost submit and obey to his list of rules like he did to all the other ghosts he's encountered, but what was the point anyway?

Attacking the Ghost of _T__ime_? Daniel could tell when the fight was lost, even when it has never even began.

Clockwork seemed to find this _amusing_, which only served to instigate even more anger. Daniel did his best to control and hide it. "Indeed it is." Clockwork smiled softly - What was that? _Fondness_? - and continued. "However, what Danny learned from this experience will remain with him, and _that_ is no damage. I see all past, present, and future. I know what can be done, and also what _needs_ to be done."

Then what 'can' be done is a teen-prat bending the timeline to his will. He would not say that to this ghost's face, though. "...You already know that I'm not going to argue... or fight with you." Daniel drawled with a shaky voice, his arms crossed again as he glared sideways at the ghost that changed into a middle-aged man. It must be a cyclic thing. "Just get to the damn point."

There would be no fighting... He's not _suicidal_.

The implications of a ghost who could control time didn't leave much to think about on whether or not he could beat him. Daniel wasn't the idiot who had to test the electric fence with his own hands to know that it works. Knowing his limits was one of the best weapons he could have.

"As you wish." Clockwork nodded. "I'll give you a _choice_ now. You can either live on in this timeline as it is, or..." He tilted his head, not needing to finish that thought before Daniel understood its meaning. He felt a shiver run down his spine and folded his crossed arms closer together, as if trying to look smaller, staring at the ground without really seeing it. If he were to imagine 'not existing', he would compare it to what he perceived as _true_ death: _nothingness_... Not of _empty space_, but a nothingness _so_ complete that he wouldn't even miss it.

For that, he would have to _be_ there...

On the other hand, what awaited him if he just continued living? He's technically never even existed until now, what was there to live for? No family, no friends, no home, and last but not least, no past. How would he even move forward when he had no starting point? Maybe he's over-thinking it. Could he really choose to _not exist?_ Of course not, the choice was obvious. He was speculating over what awaited him, but either way, he would never choose to sit down and give up.

_'Dying is not the answer...'_

"Well?" He heard the ghost of time ask. He couldn't hear that pitch of impatience, though. He probably knows what he would choose anyway.

"I'm..." Daniel frowned and then sighed in defeat, gritting his teeth. "I'm fine on my own... I guess..." He turned around and walked towards what he presumed to be the exit of the place. The damned ticking clocks were starting to unnerve him.

"Don't you wish to see how your family and friends are doing?" He heard Clockwork asking, something in his tone, a slight drop at the end... it made him wonder if not existing at all would be better. Or maybe he was imagining it, because he knew _exactly_ what awaited him.

Daniel stopped and shook his head, looking back. "I'm pretty sure I know what happened..." All he had to do was to remove himself from the equation, and he could easily deduce what happened. Key events that he didn't cause, but intervened and changed.

...He just wasn't there to help them.

And his parents... They were... _fine_, but not together. He couldn't, for the half-life of him, imagine what they would be like. Logically, he knew the extent of the change. But it was so sudden that something didn't register, didn't quite hit him yet, he knew it didn't. He would rather not explode in front of anyone. If he let himself think too much about it, he would panic and rage until the thought of vengeance settled in his head.

No one even remotely responsible for his misery should be in front of him when that happens. "If I ever see Danny again, may I punch him directly in the face...?" Not only for Daniel himself, but for the people he wasn't there for.

"As long as you don't alter reality." Came the dry sarcastic reply. Daniel scoffed again, this time in mild amusement, shaking his head and turning away. But a voice in the back stopped him once more. "Also... may a suggest a path to the nearest portal?"

"Yeah ...I appreciate it..." The less time he had with the endless silence of the Ghost Zone, the better.

* * *

The car stopped with a screech, his driver and his sporadic twitches waiting for his boss to leave the car so he could disappear as quickly as possible. It was understandable and preferable.

Vlad was _not_ in a good mood. It was visible to anyone.

He opened the door on his own as soon as they stopped, not waiting for his driver to do so as usual. He closed it harshly and stalked towards his manor in the Rockies. The car screeched as it left in a hurry, least the driver ends up angering his boss for no reason.

The only bright side of the day is that the Little Badger did find a cure. He wasn't sure _how_, and he wouldn't have been _too_ interested if the situation wasn't... worrying.

The flight back to the Rockies – his castle in Wisconsin was still being rebuilt from that portal explosion – and the drive here were unbearably annoying. There were more _eyes_ that usual, so he went to that little town by conventional means despite his aversion to being seen with that wretched condition – Jack Fenton could choke on all that fudge... Vlad's cursed him a million times more than usual since the ecto-acne struck – and then he couldn't have his human employees wondering how he got back on his own.

Vicious gossip, he couldn't give them a reason to talk. The ecto-acne was more than enough fuel for that.

Once inside, Vlad sighed tiredly, rolling his eyes and taking off his suit. How unfortunate that the ecto-acne hit him at such a crucial time, interrupting his cloning project, along with his tight schedule with VladCo and Dalv.

Contrary to what Danny believes, he didn't spend all of his hours plotting to kill his father, and him too, recently. Vlad scoffed to himself, leaving his jacket on a furry couch as he headed to the hallway that would lead to the entrance to his lab.

Danny wasn't going to let go of his ridiculous delusions of _heroism_. Vlad couldn't see him as an heir or apprentice at this point. It's been more than a year, soon he would be old enough to take care of himself, and what a sight that would be...

Horrible grades and no college. Vlad nearly snickered at that. He couldn't wait to laugh at the misery this path would lead him to. That look he had when he arrived with the cure - a genius _guess_, according to Maddie - was the look of defeat. Pure, unblemished _defeat_.

How very _tragic_...

His deluded altruism is why Vlad 'gave up' on him. He would try another way. Cloning would have to do. Although, how this mysterious defeat affected him could possibly change his mind. Vlad would keep an eye on him, even though he was sure that the Little Badger would push it aside as another weight he intended to carry on his own and move on with his hero-act. Vlad wouldn't keep his hopes up.

He walked downstairs and saw light. Vlad frowned. He didn't leave the lights on.

Danny would not come all the way to the Rockies, so Skulker probably made himself at home and was taking whatever tech he needed. It's fine, Vlad would just kick him out. However, what greeted him wasn't Skulker taking his tech nilly-willy.

He was there, yes, but on the ground, with a wrecked, fizzling suit, with the blob called Skulker out of it, a small panel opened on the suit's neck as the tiny green spec tinkered with it, mumbling indistinguishable curses angrily. Vlad sighed tiredly again and pressed his lips together in suspicion. "What is the meaning of this?"

Skulker the blob shivered visibly and turned around. "Ah, t-this, uh... It's..."

"Spit it out, already!" Vlad barked suddenly. He was _so_ not in the mood for this.

"Someone came through the portal!" He stuttered quickly.

"What?" His eyes widened in alarm. Vlad didn't waste time asking anything else to Skulker. He moved quickly to the control panel. "Maddie, show me what happened." His computer-generated hologram fizzled and appeared.

"_Right away, honey cakes! You look handsome as always, by the way__!"_ Vlad heard Skulker groaning in the back, but lucky_ for him_, he ignored it.

Vlad watched as the image popped up on the screen, showing an empty lab, lights on still. He could see the portal and the area around it, then a figure flew in through the swirling green light, landing on the ground clumsily and looking around quickly. Vlad frowned. It... was a boy? He had white hair, and for a second, Vlad thought he was looking at the Little Badger.

But, no, he wasn't, definitely not. This kid was taller and had a black lab coat on... The boy looked around in what Vlad could see as hints of confusion and fear in his bright red eyes.

"Oh, and... there's something I should mention-"

Vlad heard Skulker stutter nervously, but ignored it again. Right then, in the video feed brightened, rings appeared around the boy. "...What in the world...?" He mumbled in shock as this ghost, so eerily similar to Danny turned into a human. The kid walked out of the camera's vision and Vlad hastily pressed a button to change to another one, then turned to Skulker. "A _Half-Ghost_?!" He howled, making Skulker twitch and gulp. "_Why_ didn't you contact me about this _earlier_?!"

How in the world- Again, w_hy?_ Vlad had no idea what to think! How did this happen, when did it happen, where did this kid _come from_?!

The video feed continued and Vlad heard Skulker's own voice in it. _"__A Halfa...? __Who _are_ you?"_ He didn't wait for the blob's response and looked back at the video, where Skulker in his suit appeared, pointing an arm-cannon at the boy, who honestly didn't look scared. In fact, initially, he looked surprised but Vlad could see the signs of frustration and impatience creeping on his face.

The boy rubbed his eyes, _indigo eyes_, shaking his head, hair the same color as Vlad's own – _before_ the accident. _"I'm not in the mood for this... Move." _The boy raised a hand quickly and the feed turned white, the sound rumbled and fizzled, not quite capable of reproducing the sound of whatever happened.

Once the feed was clear again, the boy still had his hand up, two fingers pointed like a gun, and Skulker was gone, most likely flew to the other side of the lab, where he currently was. Vlad frowned and looked closer. "What was that?" He asked out loud to the ghost suit on the floor. The boy lowered his hand slowly, head lowering.

"The circuits in my suit are fried. Must have been some kind of electric attack... or something..." Was Skulker's grumbled answer, his pride soiled for losing so pathetically quickly.

Vlad was barely listening. He could swear he heard a sniff and saw a shoulder twitch, typical of someone with the need to cry. The boy hugged himself as if looking for some kind of comfort and walked out with a tired slouch and his head down. Ideas popped into his head, one after the other, and Vlad smirked. "Well, look at that..." He pulled away from the screen, looking at a door in his lab that lead to where the cloning pods were. His smirk dimmed.

Should he put that project aside?

He was tapping the panel in thought. He couldn't jump into this possibility blindly. He needed to know where this kid came from. You could only create a half-ghost with a ghost-portal. Did that mean that there was another scientist out there who created one, and on top of that, had another accident, a mere year after Danny's own?

It took him _20 years_ to find another half-ghost. What are the odds of finding another one in such a short notice...?

There has to be something more to this.

Vlad narrowed his eyes and turned to face Skulker the blob, still outside his own suit, trying to fix it by pulling melted cords out. "Alright, Skulker, fix your suit. I want you to track this boy down." He crossed his arms when Skulker gave him a predatory grin, which wasn't very threatening, considering his size. "_Track_, Skulker." He repeated warningly.

"What?! But I'm-!"

"Ghost Zone's greatest hunter', yes, I heard that one before. False advertising." Vlad droned. "_Track_. Report to me once you find him and then await for orders. We both know that you can't beat this boy anyway."

Skulker growled like a tiny dog and Vlad turned back to the screen, pulling a chair and sitting, rewinding the footage and observing more carefully. He wasn't listening to Skulker's sullen complaints as he watched the frozen image.

Those indigo eyes... they looked... _familiar_.

* * *

At this point, Danny knew better than anyone that messing with realities was something _no one _had the right to do. So him being somewhat pissed at Freakshow and his 'Reality Gauntlet altercations' was understandable.

He dealt with it. But that's not to say that he was immune to its allure.

Days following his time-travel experience were... _unpleasant_. It was difficult to ignore the weight it left on his shoulders. It was a _responsibility_ before, but after the brief weightless of its absence, it came back with vengeance and turned into _guilt_. There was nothing he could do, or could have done, but the guilt was there, nevertheless.

Ten times as heavy.

Besides that, part of his mind seemed intent on making sure he knew exactly what he was guilty about. He could add 'nightmares' to his repertoire of things that kept him up at night. He even had the vague impression that he would never sleep for a full seven hours again. But with the Gauntlet, he could somehow _solve __the problem altogether__!_ The answer to his heavy regret was literally on his hand. However...

"_Do not do such a thing again." _

He remembers Clockwork's words vividly. There was no force on Earth that would make Danny repeat the same mistake again. He had no right, he wasn't wise enough, he could _never_ make things better by changing reality, he could not _play god_.

It seems no one could.

It became such a tenet, that he felt _affronted_ by the man who thought he could control all reality on a whim. How could Freakshow think it was so _easy_ after everything Danny's gone through when changing _one_ single event of the past? Danny wanted to leave Ghost-Freakshow inside the thermos, and then throw him into the Ghost Zone. If he wanted to be a ghost so bad, he should have stayed that way. He'd felt slightly tempted to bury him in the backyard, though...

But... no. Freakshow was a human initially, and Danny would not change that, so he left him, as a human, with the GIW.

It would have to do.

Still, he did what he knew he had to do with the Gauntlet. He destroyed it after returning everything _exactly_ as they were before Freakshow messed things up. Using the Gauntlet seemed pretty intuitive, but he had this immense fear of somehow messing things up again while using it.

It was relieving to take it off. It was just as relieving to destroy it.

Danny took a deep calming breath and sat down on the steps in front of his house.

"What a road-trip...!" Tucker sat beside him, leaning back with an exaggerated sigh. Sam rolled her eyes with a small grin, sitting on the lower steps in front of them.

"Yup, we're done for this summer. It was-" Her smile dimmed when she looked at Danny. "You okay, Danny?"

Oh, he knew _that_ question. "Hm? Yeah, _fine_." He kept his tone firm enough to tell her that he didn't want to hear this again.

"Oh, boy..." Tucker groaned and inched away from both of them, as if sensing a conflict coming. Sam's face turned serious in a second and she turned to face Danny directly. She frowned. "Danny..." Her tone was tired and impatient.

"No, Sam, I'm not-"

"I know we just survived a life-threatening 'reality adventure' in a cross-country trip, but I think you've been ignoring this for too long."

"Two weeks is not 'too long'." In fact, it was way, _way_ too long...

Sam crossed her arms with a growl. "You're tired from what happened today, Danny, but can't you see that we're worried? You look like you're sleeping even less than usual." Yes, Danny knew the dark circles beneath his eyes were visible a mile away, specially to his close friends, and even more to his sister. "I know you were exhausted all this time, and you could have gotten killed for real because of it."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. He was too tired to argue, so he got up and walked inside his home.

"Don't you run from me!" He heard Sam outside, as she got up and followed him.

"Uh, guys..." He heard Tucker trying to pacify them, but neither of them heard him. He got up and looked back and forth between them and his spot on the stairs, as if trying to decide if he should get involved or just stay put, where he was safe.

"Alright, Sam. If you want to talk about this, fine, but not _now_. I _am_ exhausted, just like you said."

Sam grabbed him by the wrist. "That's what you said last week." He did? Huh... he needed a new excuse urgently.

Danny shrugged. "Tomorrow, then." He grumbled and turned his arm intangible, walking out of her grip easily.

Sam narrowed her eyes, hand closing into a fist, then her shoulders dropped as she rolled her eyes in frustration. "_Tomorrow_, then." She walked out with a brisk pace.

Tucker had finally decided to walk in, but stopped as Sam passed by him, nearly bumping into each other. He looked at Danny, who was watching Sam as she left with a wistful look, and shook his head. "You know she'll make your life a living terror tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I figured. I think I'll disappear for a few days then, until she forgets about it."

"She won't."

"I know..."

Tucker opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. Then, he tried again. "I... I know you don't wanna talk about it, but this is serious, man. You- _w__e_ can't ignore it forever." Danny sighed and looked down, nodding. Tucker continued. "We just want to help."

"...I know..."

"Well, remember that then. I'm going home, got some Zs to catch up on. I'll try to get Sam to go easy on you tomorrow, alright?"

Danny scoffed. "I don't think you can, but I'll appreciate it, for sure." Tucker nodded and walked out, giving Danny subtle looks before the front door closed was finally closed, and Danny was alone once again. In silence again.

They didn't talk about it.

Ever since that day, none of them even mentioned what Danny meant when he told them a tiny bit of what happened. He didn't talk about the time-travel, and he didn't mention _Daniel_. All they knew, is that he got into a fight, and got beat up on his search for an antidote for the Ecto-Acne, and that something happened and someone _died_.

They had no idea, but it was left implied. Who he fought with 'was gone _gone__', _he'd said. What they understood by that, Danny could only guess. Did they think he merely _spectated_ someone's death? Or that he was the cause of it? Or maybe, thought that Danny himself killed someone? Either way, they didn't _talk_ about it.

For two weeks, there was this tense shadow in the background, no matter what they were doing.

He could tell that they were thinking about it every time they looked at him. Tucker just happened to be ironically less verbal about it – 'ironic' because he's the one who talks way too much sometimes.

Danny threw himself on the couch with a grunt. His fight with Freakshow didn't leave him unharmed, but he's been through worse. He undid the damage with the Gauntlet anyway. His bruises from his last _real beat up_, however, healed almost like a normal human's and disappeared completely after a whole week. A slow, painful reminder.

None of his usual enemies even scratched that level of damage, and he still had no idea what the issue was, not _exactly_. His mother had no research on the matter. Probably because she never actually studied many corporeal ghosts like himself. Maybe he should have given Ghost-Freakshow to her... She would have loved to dissect him molecule by molecule-

"Danny?"

Danny closed his eyes. He wanted to bury his face on the couch. "Hi, Jazz."

She smiled brightly and strode over to him, sitting beside him, touching his forehead, and also checking for any wounds. "You okay, now?" She wasn't asking about _that, _but he tensed anyway. She would ask soon.

"Yup, totally fine." That was the truth, and it was a first one, a truth that included the word 'fine' in it. He looked at his sister and saw the worry vanishing. Jazz not existing didn't hit him right away in the alternative reality, not as strongly as his father did. He guessed that nothing hits quite as painfully as your parents not _recognizing_ you.

Maybe if he'd stayed alone long enough, his brain would have finally felt the punch. Same with his friends having no idea he even existed.

"Good, we were all worried back then. Do mom and dad...?"

"Remember? No. Only Sam, Tucker and you. Just like it was before." He grinned tiredly.

Jazz tilted her head, pursing her lips but not losing the smile. "I'm surprised you didn't erase my memories too..."

That would mean _changing_ something. "What are you talking about? You're part of the team now."

Her smile was so bright at this point, it was metaphorically _blinding_. She was nearly bouncing on her seat. "Really? That's great-!"

"Just leave the ghost-hunting to us, alright? Your aim's still... eh." He waved his had to indicate that.

She heard it like a joke – it was, partly – and giggled, giving him a feeble punch on the shoulder that he barely felt. "Thanks, little brother." She leaned back and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on and cycling through the channels with an easy smile.

Danny frowned as his smile disappeared. She wasn't going to ask? He eyed her cautiously, waiting. She was always more verbal, she _always_ asked. She stopped a few days before, but... he's seen her reading a lot more after that. He thought she was researching on _how_ _to_ make him talk in her psychology books.

Well, he wouldn't fall for that. Whatever it was. After seconds of tense silence – for him – he got up and walked out of the living room, intending to go upstairs. He kept an eye on Jazz, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Part of him wished he had Daniel's ability to read people...

But there was nothing. She didn't ask at all. Maybe she gave up and was now patiently waiting for him to open up on his own? That was... thoughtful of her, if that was her deal. Danny was already on the top of the stairs when he stopped.

What did Jazz always say? Talking is the best medicine? Hell, maybe it was! The guilt and the nightmares were tormenting him for two weeks, and using the Reality Gauntlet was a no-go to solve it. It felt like time was making it less painful, alleviate the guilt, but it changed so slowly...

How long could he keep going like this? Part of him wanted his friends and sister to ask. He would consider it, for half a second, and then he would ultimately refuse to say anything. But knowing they care is always comforting...

_'I just want to forget...' _He couldn't, but oh, how he _wished_ he could. "...I must be going crazy..." Danny mumbled and stalked downstairs again. "Jazz."

She turned off the TV. "Yes?" She answered too quickly...

"Were you _waiting_ for me?" He asked with a deadpan expression.

"Probing doesn't work, so patience is the key." She quipped, shrugging with a smile.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Did you get that from one of your books?"

She shrugged again, and Danny sighed, looking at the ceiling in exasperation and dragging his feet until he was on the couch again. He sat at the end, hand under his chin, supporting his head, with Jazz inching closer. Once he opened his mouth, after long seconds of silence, the words came out before he could think about it. "Have you ever done something _so horrible_ you just wanted to take it all back...?" He gave her no time to respond. "I mean, I didn't _mean_ for that to happen, I wasn't even thinking! It just did! I didn't... I didn't _kill_ anyone, if that's what you were thinking!" He leaned a bit closer to her, eyes wide to assert her reaction, then leaned back. "Sam and Tucker probably think that too..."

Jazz's brows knitted together. "Actually, I was thinking that an accident happened, and that you were blaming yourself. I'm pretty sure Sam and Tucker think so too."

"It wasn't an accident..." He admitted surly. "I was being an idiot, and it _was_ my fault... in the end..."

By the brief confused look on her face, Danny thought she would ask what he was talking about – he wouldn't explain the details, he didn't want to – but instead, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"If I had just _listened_..." Danny leaned forward and rubbed his face with his hands tiredly, regret resurfacing. "N-none of that would have happened...!" _Deep_ regret... He sputtered, it was getting difficult to force his voice out. Danny considered getting up and leaving before Jazz could think he was about to cry...

"Danny..." She continued rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. Danny wasn't sure if she knew what to say, specially when she had no idea what he was talking about...

How could she ever give him any advice with these conditions?

"I..." Should he tell her? Explain? If he did, would she know how to make the guilt disappear or how to soothe it? He could feel his heart beating faster and faster, the gnawing fear and guilt inside him again, digging itself out of where he buried it... He needed a minute... He wanted to _forget_ about it!

Not relive it...!_ 'This is not helping me...!' _

Danny shook his head, and after a second, he got up and headed out through the front door. He heard Jazz trying to call him but then stopping and letting him go in silence. He didn't look back at her. Maybe a flight a few miles away from the ground would alleviate things...

These next weeks were going to be long...

* * *

Continuous ticking clocks and bells every now and then. Some people might consider this constant repetitiveness maddening, but to Clockwork, it was comforting. It meant that things were moving forward with no interruptions.

As they should be.

He watched, somewhat detached, as the young Phantom left his house for a flight, the ghost equivalent of taking a walk outside. As a ghost who has always existed, getting attached to beings that lasted _so little_ was not encouraged.

Not that he could, even if he tried. He's simply _been,_ for far too long.

But... there are certain people, humans and ghosts alike, who got more attention than others. These people tended to swing both ways, both extreme ends, each so far apart that he, the Ghost of Time, could not tell exactly which would come to pass.

Danny Phantom could either lose his family and destroy the future, or move on with his life with his family alive and well. The path he was now following, the one where Clockwork himself exercised his influence, also had its own variables. Not everyone had such variables – most futures were so _predictable_ from his perspective, that they were _inevitable_ – and that's what made someone more interesting.

These cases, they were a bit like Schrödinger's Cat. He could see both ends, but he wouldn't know for sure until it happened, until a definitive event confirmed where they were. Both existed, until only one emerged.

The other infinite timelines, the ones that simply didn't happen, had an uncountable number of people that never even existed, and they also had the special ones, not as predictable, with many defining variables...

"This again... this _again_, Clockwork! You did it again!" The usual professional tone of the Observants' leader echoed in his lair, less composed than usual, just as shrill.

"Clarify to me, again, what did I do?" He didn't look away from his monitor. Anything to not look at the floating eyeball in robes behind him, specially when he knew his mood wasn't pleasant.

"Your actions brought forth one who was never _meant_ to be! And now-!"

"You know, as well as I do, that those who pass through the _Clockwork Tower_ are no longer bound by the Time Stream." Clockwork replied calmly, eyeing the thermos on a shelf in the corner of the room, its dents just as visible. "As well as those who touch the Time-Medallions."

"He shouldn't have had the chance to _be_ in the first place!" The eyeball crossed his arms. "That boy is a walking future disaster! The Observants' Council should have _both of them_ in trial for what one has done, and for what the other could do!"

Clockwork nearly scoffed. "Your oath is to _Observe_, never to _Act_. The Phantom boy if following his path as he should be, and I will not do anything to the other one when he hasn't done anything."

"_Yet_, Clockwork! You might have been right about the Phantom boy, despite your interference, but allowing the other boy to exist due to Phantom's actions-!"

Clockwork tuned him out, already knowing what he would say. Their close-mindedness aggravated him greatly. They only see it like a parade, the immediate future that only changes as _great_ _variables_ come into play. Explaining such things to them was not his responsibility. The alternative reality of Maddie Walker marrying Vlad Masters was _not_ an exclusive variable Danny Fenton created. The original Time Stream branches away, creating infinite realities that never happened. All have their own infinite branches, none of them exist, but they are there.

_Daniel Masters_ is just another variable that has always been there, one that just so happened to cross into existence, unlike anyone else. Such a rare occurrence... His future also had two extremes ahead of him. Clockwork couldn't confirm which would come to be, and even after following one path, there would be other similar balancing extremes to face next.

Just like Danny Fenton.

"You Observants are ironically unable to see it, but _nothing_ is out of place." Clockwork muttered firmly, finally turning to the Observant High Council leader with a smirk, making the floating eyeball clench his fists in silent indignation with the affront. "_Everything_ is _exactly_ as it should be."

* * *

**A/N: Foreshadowing. Foreshadowing everywhere. ****This feels like setup, no? Setup always gets me stuck too, by the way. So, setup and POV change. I'm glad I'm writing at all!**

**First thing, the Wiki says that Maddie's maiden name is Walker, so I used that. How many of you knew that? I sure didn't before... **

**Second thing, Vladdie is heeere! He'll be a big part of this story too, and later on, Maddie will also be just as important.**

**Third thing, I watched all of the Randy Cunningham series, so, I decided to write a three-way crossover with Jake Long and Danny Phantom. Man, I'm so excited for it! You know my writing style, so you decide if you wish to read it.**

**Fourth thing, I found a bunch of characters I created when I was much younger in an old notebook, so I drew them again with my current style and put them on DeviantArt! I'm giving them away for free, 'cause I have no use for them. :( They're all girls, by the way. Link's on my profile.**

**Fifth thing (my god, will you stop adding stuff?!), I had a bunch of fic ideas that I ended up not writing at all, so I'm leaving the general idea of all of them in my profile, also for free or as challenges, I dunno.**

**Anyway, I hope the chapter was good, for a setup. I hate writing bad things and then begging my readers to 'bear with me because it gets better _later_', because that's _not_ how you're _supposed_ to write! ****Every chapter needs to be worth the readers' time and move the plot forward! I strive for that.**

**Okay, now, about that Canon Time-Line!**

**Supposedly, the series starts in 2004, around September, since Danny just started as a Freshman. However, by episode 8, in Prisoners of Love, it says it's May 9th, Maddie and Jack's anniversary! That meant that from episode 1 to 8, SIX MONTHS passed! **

**Which is why, this fic will be using my own timeline. **

**Proto-portal accident in **_**1984;**_** they were 22 years old then. Jack and Maddie married on **_**September 20**_**, ****instead of May, in **_**1986**_**, ****when they were**** 24\. They had Jazz two years after marriage, ****when they were**** 26, ****early **_**1988.**_** Danny was born on **_**November 15**_**, **_**1990**_.** Maddie and Jack finished the portal somewhere before mid-2004, so Danny got his powers during early summer break, that is mid-July, in _2004_.**

**Danny's Freshman year started on mid-August. Danny's still 13 at this point (2004)**

**Episode 1-7: Happened in a month or so (2004)**

**Episode 8: September 20, ****instead of May 9**** (2004)**

**Episode 9-15: A month, until October 31, ****during Fright Night**** (2004)**

**Episode 16-17: Around June, ****so that meant Danny had a few months with no new enemies or remarkable events, ****and Danny's long 14 by now (2005)**

**Episode 18-29: Sophomore year (2005)**

**Episode 30: Christmas, and Danny's 15 (2005)**

**Episode 31-38: Sophomore year ends and then there's Summer break in Reality Trip (2006)**

**So in this fic, Danny's 15 and a Junior! And that makes Daniel 17 and practically finishing high school when Danny arrived! Seriously, writing this timeline was kinda of difficult! If you find a loop-hole, tell me! I'm also changing these details in earlier chapters. Nothing big, just a line or so. Good lord, these author's note made the chapter bigger than any chapter I've ever written for M&amp;C! **

**So review, fave and/or follow! I'm thankful to _everyone_ who even took the time to read what I wrote, it's such a blessing! :) I hope it was good enough, as always.**


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